After a successful and informative inaugural year, the Minister's Youth Council is back, with 33 different young Albertans chosen to participate in a series of meetings with Education Minister David Eggen, bringing their ideas and unique perspectives on how to improve education in our province.

Sienna Dickson will be attending grade 10 this fall at the Wetaskiwin Composite High School, and as both a member of the indigenous and the LGBTQA2S+ communities, she is looking forward to helping give a greater voice to both groups, especially when it comes to how they are portrayed in schools as well as represented in the curriculums.

Dickson says she tries to connect with students from all walks of life in her school, so she can bring their individual perspectives to the meetings.

“I just like to be involved in the whole school community so I get everybody’s different perspectives and understand why everybody thinks the way they do, and why everybody are passionate about the things that they do.”

Those chosen students also includes Hunting Hills High School student Cameron Litowski.

When he is not busy writing finals, volunteering at a local hospital, or participating in a Rotary Youth Exchange in Thailand for six months, the openly gay youth is a big advocate for the LGBTQA2S+ community, as well as shining the spotlight on mental health issues in schools.

“We also have to ensure that teachers are well equipped to do that. Whether someone is gay, or whether someone maybe has developmental issues, or even if someone is depressed, or anxious, it’s fundamental that teachers know what to do so students don’t wither and lose the potential they could have had if they had the support.”

Litowski is credited with creating the first Gay/Straight Alliance group in the Wolf Creek Public School Division when he attended Lacombe Junior High, and he's looking forward to the first of three meetings with the minister in October.

Also included was Aria Finley from Ponoka, who is also in the Wolf Creek Public School Division.