Student Leadership

There are many ways a student can take on leadership roles within their school and within the school board.

Student Trustees

The Student Trustee is a member of the Algoma District School Board of Trustees and as such is part of the deliberations and decision-making of all matters brought before the Board. Some critical responsibilities of the Student Trustee are to represent the interests of students during deliberations of the Board of Trustees and to communicate Board decisions to system students.

Pictured at left 2023/2024 ADSB Student Trustees Casey Bouvier, Andrew Vair & Northern Indigenous Youth Council Chair Desirae Schell-Migwans. To learn more about these Student Leaders please follow this link.

In October 2018, ADSB approved changes to the Student Trustee Policy to move from two Student Trustees to three Student Trustees. Student Trustees have been and will continue to be elected from ADSB secondary schools. The Student Senate will elect two Student Trustees and the ADSB Northern Indigenous Youth Council will elect one Indigenous Student Trustee with final approval being determined by the Algoma District School Board.

Student Trustees represent the voice of students in decisions about education in Algoma, and help keep students informed about important decisions that affect them. The purpose of electing Student Trustees to the Board is to encourage and provide student leadership development and involvement in public service; to provide for the representation of student interests, to bring a student perspective to the deliberations of the Board, and to support strategies being implemented in Ontario schools.

For more information please call (705) 945-7111.

Student Senate

The Algoma District School Board's Student Senate exists to provide all students with a voice, which advocates for their rights and supports their responsibilities. It seeks to encourage and promote an integrated community approach fucusing on improving all aspects of a students educational experience.

Student Voice

Student Voice is an opportunity for you the student to have a voice in your learning. Provided at both a school board level and a Ministry of Education level, Student Voice is designed to connect what's happening in your classroom to real-life experiences outside school and gives you ways to help achieve your goals. Student Voice is a way for you to shape your learning environment while building your skills and abilities. It helps you be a more active citizen and supports student democracy and empowerment. ADSB wants to tap into your energy and ideas so that all students can be successful!

"We want to make Ontario's publicly funded education system even better than it already is, and that starts with you! You have a voice, and we want to hear what you have to say about your 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.

You have said 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." (excerpt from Ministry of Education Website)

There are a number of ways to get involved. One of them is through SpeakUp Projects.

Across Ontario, SpeakUp projects are helping students engage both academically and socially by leading projects that they design and implement with the support of their learning community. To date, thousands of students in grades 7-12 have actively led or participated in over 6,000 projects in hundreds of schools.

In the Algoma District School Board, many of our high schools have taken part in SpeakUp Projects centered around Project ABCD (Action for Building a Community that is Drug-free) and Pink Shirt Day.

Project ABCD

Project ABCD is a collaborative effort involving school boards, police services and community partners from the Algoma District. Formally implemented in September 2009, it is a community-based initiative targeted at deterring drug use in our upper elementary and secondary schools. ABCD stands for; Action for Building a Community that is Drug free.

Student leadership teams in all secondary schools throughout the Algoma Region develop Youth
Engagement Strategies to build awareness and to focus on drug prevention and education.
To date leadership teams have focused on three main areas:
1. ABCD Planning Teams in all Secondary Schools (Gr. 9-12)
2. A Theatre Production written and delivered by students to Grade 9 and 10 students throughout the Algoma region
3. Grade 7 and 8 Elementary Outreach Pilot – presentations developed in collaboration with the Algoma Public Health Unit, Sault Ste. Marie Police Services and Algoma Family Services to educate and build awareness of the health and legal risks and dangers associated with drug use.