Welcome to Student Voice
Applications for the 2016-17 Minister's Student Advisory Council are closed.
Thank you to everyone who applied.
Meet the current council members
and see where they come from!
What is it?
Student Voice aims to promote student engagement and success in Ontario's schools by listening to and learning from students. Student Voice provides you, the students, with a variety of ways to share your ideas with your school, the education community and the ministry about what would help you re-engage, or be more engaged, in your learning. Student Voice can help you take action to shape your learning environment while you build your skills.
We want all students to be successful, and we need your energy and ideas to make this happen.
Check out this video to get an idea of what's changing for Ontario students!
It all starts with you
Speak up! You have a voice, and we want to hear what you have to say about your education. Your ideas and actions are key in helping Ontario's publicly funded education system reach the goals set out in its new Achieving Excellence vision for education. We want to help you make your school a place where everyone feels welcome and where you are empowered to speak your mind, get involved and become active citizens and leaders.
Students told us that you want to:
- share your ideas with government on how to strengthen student engagement and make Ontario's publicly funded education system even better.
- have a school culture where all students feel that they belong.
- work as partners with your teachers, and participate in school decisions that will shape your lives and the lives of your peers.
How can you get involved?
There are four main ways for you to get involved:
- Minister's Student Advisory Council (MSAC)
Each year, approximately sixty students in grades 7 to 12 from across the province are selected to form the council. MSAC provides advice on ministry policies and programs and also meets with the Minister of Education to share their ideas and perspectives.
Find out more about the council. - Students As Researchers (StAR)
Students As Researchers training is held across Ontario to provide training for student-teacher teams from grade 7-12 in collaborative inquiry research methods. StAR teams are taught the fundamental components of social science research (e.g. ethics, research design and methodologies, data analysis, etc.).
Students work together to identify and research an issue impacting the student experience (e.g. equity, student engagement, well-being or achievement, etc.). For example, teams could conduct research on questions such as: "What experiences engage students in math class?" or "What conditions help students learn?"
Talk to your Student Success Teacher or school principal if you are interested in participating.
Check out what we're doing to give students a voice.
- SpeakUp Projects
The SpeakUp Projects program provides funding to help you, the students, lead projects that make a difference in your school, have your voices heard and take action. To date, thousands of students in grades 7-12 have actively led or participated in more than 9,000 projects in hundreds of schools across Ontario.
Learn how you can start putting your ideas into action. - SpeakUp in a Box
SpeakUp in a Box is a "do-it-yourself" forum kit which contains everything you will need to run a student-led forum for 30 participants at your school. It includes facilitator tip sheets, a step-by-step forum guide and forum supplies. During the forum your peers share ideas about what can help students be more engaged in learning and school life.
Watch a video about SpeakUp in a Box.
Learn more and order your kit today!
This is your education. Speak up and get involved! Let's all work together to ensure Ontario's publicly funded education system remains among the best in the world.
Send your comments and ideas to studentvoice@ontario.ca.
See what students like you are saying and doing on Facebook to raise the student voice. Share your student engagement thoughts and activities by liking SpeakUp Ontario on Facebook and posting there.
