A High Level Public School student is getting an opportunity to share what education means to young people in the north.

Nolan Stredulinsky, a Grade 11 HLPS student, has been selected to be part of the 2019/2020 Minister’s Youth Council. He was chosen as one of 40 junior and senior high students across the province from a pool of more than 200 applicants.

“It’s all thanks to my aunt,” Stredulinsky said. “She found (a call for submissions) on Facebook where it had been shared a few times.”

“She then pestered me for two months straight.”

Stredulinsky said he had to write a biography and write about why he wanted to be on the council. Again, his aunt’s persistence came through and he sent his application in.

“A month later, I got a call,” he said. “I did an interview, and then just last week I got a call saying I was accepted into it.”

Working at the provincial level, the council will share diverse student perspectives and provide input on education issues. Collectively, the council will bring a broad and diverse range of life experiences, knowledge, and skills from across the province.

“I want to be able to give insight into living in a rural town – education-wise,” said Stredulinsky. “It’s all the way down in Edmonton. I’m sure there are going to be a lot of people from the urban centres. So I thought I could give a really good point-of-view from a middle-of-nowhere town. How going through the education system has affected me, and how it can affect other students who are all across the small communities of Alberta.”

Through these council meetings, students will have an opportunity to practice and acquire skills that will serve them in the future and allow them to take ownership and responsibility for their learning. They will be exposed to diverse opinions, hone their dialogue and negotiation skills, and gain a better understanding of Alberta’s education system while growing their leadership abilities. They gain an opportunity to drive change, create new relationships, improve their critical thinking and learn how to apply their knowledge while making use of their problem-solving skills.

Schools can benefit by having improved relationships between students, teachers, parents, school leaders, and education system leaders, while considering programming and policies informed by student input.  The benefits to the provincial government include opportunities for collaborative relationships with education partners, and access to diverse views, opinions, and lived experiences. This can inform decision-making with a better understanding of the needs and views of students.

Stredulinsky said there are a number of issues with northern education he is looking forward to sharing with the council.

“One of the main issues is travel,” he said. “With the quad system, travel can kill you. But also, a lot of the time we have a lot less resources.

“We’ve also got lots of sports teams, but, as far as creative goes, we have very little in comparison.”

Stredulinsky added he is looking forward to the opportunity.

“Ever since I was young, I’ve enjoyed being on councils and enjoyed having my voice heard,” he said. “It’s been important to me that my voice is heard. I also feel like it’s something that interests me possibly as a career one day – not specifically politics, but maybe something in that field.”

“I enjoy speaking with people in councils and sharing my opinion.”

The council will meet:
Oct. 25-28;
Feb. 7-10; and
May 1-4