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The Students Commission was co-founded in 1991, by TG Magazine, Optimist Clubs and youth, as a non-profit organization, to hold an annual youth-driven conference. Together, youth from across Canada discuss issues and write a National Report on issues of concern. In just under seven years, The Students Commission has created a proactive forum for youth to influence public policy on issues of concern to them. Their voices have been heard; National Reports are presented to the Prime Minister, the Governor General, cabinet ministers, provincial premiers and business, education, community and labour leaders across Canada. Then, youth work to implement their recommendations, which in turn creates many new projects and concrete results. The Students Commission program is also about training and development in a variety of areas &emdash; from leadership skills and organization skills to media and technology skills. Youth learn to do the kinds of things that are relevant and are of interest to them. TG and The Students Commission specifically recruit among those not usually for national conferences and co-op programs.
• a chance for teens from every socio-economic, racial, political, geographical, astrological, zoological and any other "als" to discuss in a non-political, non-judgemental forum. • a chance for youth to make their voices heard by government, schools and their community. At the end of our six-day conference, we present recommendations and action plans to the federal and provincial governments as well as to community leaders, business and media. • a chance for students to learn about and use the media, the Internet and to make videos and CD ROMs. At each national workshop, Commissioners can come to the media room and write an article for their local paper, or tape a story for their local TV or radio station. A group of Commissioners and Auburn Air Student Media Service, became the first fully accredited youth journalists at the G7 Summit in Halifax in June 1995. • a chance for delegates to work all year long toward improving our society through their schools and communities. Commissioners bring home the National Youth Report and work all year to implement their recommendations and action plans. • a chance for Canadian youth to get involved on the international scene. Commissioners have participated in the World Summit on Social Development in Copenhagen, the United Nations Conference on Women in Beijing, the APEC Leaders Summit in Vancouver and the Rio + Summit in New York. |
