Bringing Student Voice to the Table: Connecting With Your KPR Student Trustees!

With another school year well underway, KPR’s new Student Trustees have already begun making an impact and demonstrating their commitment to student advocacy and leadership!

Beginning their term in August, Maria Mahfuz, Grade 12 student at Kenner Collegiate Vocational Institute and Kelly Mitchell, Grade 12 student at Adam Scott Collegiate Vocational Institute play a critical role in our education system, representing 34,000 students across the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board.

“As Student Trustees, we are the board's eyes and ears on the ground within schools, and we make sure the trustees understand the student perspective when making decisions involving student interest,” shares Kelly.

In addition to attending board meetings, Maria and Kelly lead the Student Leadership Group (SLG) at KPR.

The SLG is a committee of secondary students from across the board that meets monthly to discuss current issues and concerns impacting their school communities and to establish goals and priorities based on the needs identified by students. Maria and Kelly are responsible for summarizing the outcome of these discussions into a report that is shared with the Board of Trustees each month.

One of the goals they hope to achieve as Student Trustees this year is supporting students in the transition back to a “normal” school experience, with opportunities to engage in sports and recreation, clubs, theatre and other extracurricular activities and school events.

“We know how much COVID-19 has impacted everyone’s lives for the last two years, and we want to support our students as much as we can, whether it’s mentally or physically,” says Maria.

Another goal we have for the year is to increase student involvement. We want our students to know more about the opportunities they have to make a difference in our schools and communities,” she adds.

Maria and Kelly are both looking forward to continuing to hear from students and to learn about their collective experiences and perspectives. They encourage students who are interested in sharing ideas and communicating feedback to reach out to them through email or to use the anonymous form linked in the @kprstudenttrustees Instagram account bio.

They also remind students to stay in touch with their school’s SLG representative for the latest news and information about student governance.

“Remember that your ideas, your opinions, and your needs deserve to be heard. Students are encouraged to get involved in leadership, and to always strive to make a difference in their schools. Your voices are important and I encourage everyone to use their voice to make positive change this school year,” says Kelly.