Remi Poliquin
Counsel
Secondary Students Gather for Annual Teen Summit
by Marilyn Santucci
The Lester B. Pearson School Board (LBPSB) recently hosted its Teen Summit, themed “Changing the World with Innovation through the Lens of EDDI.” The event brought together students and educators to explore creative, student-driven solutions to real-world challenges impacting schools and communities.
“This is our third Teen Summit, and it’s a gathering of students across the school board. Each summit has a theme that we introduce to students through different sets of workshops,” said Seifeldeen (Seif) Saad, a student from Pierrefonds Community High School and LBPSB Student Commissioner.
Grounded in the principles of Equity, Diversity, Decolonization, and Inclusion (EDDI), the summit opened with a keynote presentation featuring David Meloche, Executive Director of the Quebec English School Boards Association, and Dr. David D’Arienzo, Co-founder of the Heart and Hands Pediatric Clinic. The presentation focused on improving access to school-based pediatric healthcare services in underserved communities.
Photos by Dan Mullins
Throughout the day, students participated in interactive workshops centered on leadership, identity exploration, relationship-building, and meaningful dialogue on racism and social responsibility.
In the afternoon, students collaborated in a shared space to examine pressing social issues through innovation and creativity. By centering student voice and lived experience, the summit aimed to inspire ideas and solutions with the potential to positively impact school communities and beyond.
“I hope that my fellow students took away from the conference that they have more power than they realize,” said Eliza Tagg, a student from Beaconsfield High School and LBPSB Student Commissioner. “It’s easy, especially as a student, to fall into the trap of thinking so much is wrong and that they have no power in making change. I think that if you come up with a plan, you will see that there are people who want to implement solutions. You just have to take that first step.”
Photos by Ashton Lillie
