Youth Consultation Team Promotes Unity and Inclusion in Meeting with Board of Education

On May 27, the Sun West Youth Consultation Team had its annual meeting with the Sun West Board of Education. The Youth Consultation Team is part of the Sun West Student Leadership Program and one of their chief purposes is bring student voice to the Board of Education. Throughout the year they solicit student viewpoints on various issues impacting education and based on what they learn, present their findings to the Board of Education. The focus of the Youth Consultation Team this year was on issues surrounding celebrating and recognizing diversity and inclusion.

The students started their presentation with a rousing entrance set to the music of the movie The Greatest Showman. They entered wearing ringmaster style top hats and wearing Sun West Unity and Inclusion t-shirts designed by Yevheniia Taranukha, one of their members, as well as a Métis beadwork button gifted to them by Jenna Bjornson, a Métis artist. They then greeted the Trustees with “Hello” in several different languages spoken by the Youth Consultation members.

The student presentation focused on the importance of diversity and inclusion and its value within Sun West. Youth Consultation Team member Kenna Chester stated: “Learning about different cultures helps reduce prejudice, builds empathy, and promotes respect for all people from all backgrounds.” They described their efforts in having March 9-15, 2025, declared the first Sun West Multiculturalism Week and spoke about their plans to increase participation in the week in the upcoming school year. Board Chair Michele Whitfield wrote the students in a letter after the presentation: “We feel that despite the short timeline that you were working within, you did excellent work on the first Sun West Multiculturalism Week, and we are pleased that you plan on continuing that work.”

They also spoke about their other activities including the Online Student Handbook and the Travelling Road Show, both of which enjoyed success this year. Following the presentation the students gifted Director of Education Vicki Moore with her own top hat and invited her to have lunch with them – an invitation she was only too pleased to accept!

Following the meeting Chair Whitfield wrote the Youth Consultation members stating: “We were impressed by your energy and enjoyed your enthusiasm for the work you have been carrying out in the current school year.”

The video below features some highlights from the meeting.

Left to right in the picture featured in this banner: Jan Nasibog (Rosetown), Ariyanna Huda (Elrose),Pieghton Oickle (Kenaston), Isabella Alexander (Davidson), Kenna Chester(Kindersley), Trudy Wiebe (Marengo), Cadence Hallborg (Eston), Wade Halliday(Rosetown), Yevheniia Taranukha (Biggar), Bentley Atkinson (Kindersley),Abigail Dowson (Biggar) , Vicki Moore (Director of Education), Elaina Dahl(Davidson), Fritz Eckstein (Trustee), Cathy Morrow (Trustee), Karen Blackwell Jones (Trustee), Michelle Zacharias (Trustee), Michele Whitfield (Trustee),Cathy Laventure (Trustee), Holly Goddard (Trustee), and Terry Hall (Trustee).

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