Inaugural Youth Summit Unites 600 Students in a Call for Change
by Marilyn Santucci
April 29th, 2025 – the Centre Mont-Royal was the setting for a grand event. Over 600 students from 75 French- and English-speaking public high schools in Montreal gathered for the first edition of the Youth Summit on School Democracy.
Under the inspiring theme The Voice of the Future, the event aimed to promote student engagement in civic and democratic participation.
Initially sparked by the Table of General Directors of the School Service Centres and School Boards of the Island of Montreal, a planning committee composed mainly of students worked diligently on organizing the event for over a year.
Two motions were adopted and shared with participants. The first concerns student representation on school governing boards. The students are calling for parity with staff and parent representatives to ensure a better balance of power. The second motion addresses safety in schools. To address issues related to both physical and psychological safety, students are advocating for support measures that are better tailored to the specific needs of each school environment, particularly through a more effective internal reporting system.
The Lester B. Pearson School Board was proudly represented at the event. Two of our students, Fiona Govers and Kavi Hussain, contributed as members of the student organizing committee. Our Director General, Dr. Cindy Finn, took part in a panel discussion alongside other Directors from School Boards and Service Centres. In addition, students from across our schools actively engaged in the day’s activities.
“This event is about community. We often talk about what divides and separates us, but I think events like this allow us to see how much we have in common, including the problems we face. If you face a problem alongside other people, you are more likely to solve it,” says Fiona Govers.
Individual events took place throughout the day, as well as two panels. The first was a discussion with School Service Centre and School Board Directors and included Paul St-Onge (CSSMB), Isabelle Gélinas (CSSDM), Martin Duquette (CSSPI), Nicholas Katalifos (EMSB) and Cindy Finn (LBPSB).
The second panel was with guests from the educational and political sectors and included Melissa Ben Meddour (Vice President, Montreal Youth Council) Vincenzo Paolella and Frishta Hussain (Coalition of English-Speaking Student Associations of Quebec, Students at Champlain College), and Virginie Journeau (City Councillor for the Rivière-des-Prairies/PAT District).
Congratulations to all the members of the organizing committee, which includes nine students: Anaïs Léveillé and Taha Bouhou (CSSPI), Gabriel David Ferreira Feio and Sophie Talbot (CSSMB), Audric Twahirwa (CSSDM), Oliver Gee and Teshiyah Vernon-Cockburn (EMSB), as well as Fiona Govers and Kavi Hussain (LBPSB).
