Who We Are
The Students Commission was founded in 1991 with a mission to help young people put their ideas for improving themselves, their communities and their world into action. In the year 2000, The Students Commission became the lead of The Centre of Excellence for Youth Engagement, which networks academics, youth organizations and young people together to provide research and training to improve youth programs and youth engagement in Canada.
An independent, charitable, non-governmental organization, The Students Commission is active across Canada, supporting young people to participate in the activities of local, provincial, national and international organizations and governments. The Students Commission:
- holds conferences for youth, and for adults who work with youth, to learn skills and information three to four times a year.
- supports young people to develop projects to assist people in their communities.
- delivers workshops in schools and community organizations and at our offices.
- trains young people, particularly street-involved youth, in office skills, desk-top publishing, web design and video.
- provides counselling services and programs to youth in the areas of substance abuse, violence prevention and rehabilitation.
- hosts discussion groups with youth, particularly street-involved youth, to provide counselling, rehabilitation and encourage volunteerism.
- conducts research, develops policies and guidelines in the area of youth and communicates the results.
- develops and distributes educational, resource and study materials for youth and adults who work with youth.
The Students Commission is NOT a government agency. We use the word "Commission" in the sense of empowerment: adults who trust and share power with youth to take action and work with them as equals.
Four Pillars
The Students Commission operates on four pillars: Respect, Listen, Understand and Communicate™. These are our core values and our core process.
How did it start?
The Students Commission grew out of a national magazine, founded by youth for youth in 1940. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Teen Generation or TG, was written by youth for youth and distributed in all high schools in Canada, supported by professional adult allies. This partnership between youth and adults, with its core process of addressing issues through engagement of youth and effective communication, expanded in 1991 into The Students Commission.