Hadley Gariepy, a Grade 12 student from Kinistino School, was recently named to the 2025-2026 Youth Council.
The provincial government says the council will help shape Saskatchewan classrooms with their ideas, insights and leadership. Gariepy said that being named to the Youth Council means a lot to her.
“I work really hard to make sure that my school right now is a safe place for students and I really work to be an activist for student voices in Saskatchewan, so being selected for this is a really big deal,” Gariepy said.
Her goals for the Youth Council are simple.
“I really want to just work to make sure that every student’s voice is answered because Saskatchewan is a fairly big province,” Gariepy said. “There are cities, there are Catholic schools, there are rural schools. Everyone has a different school experience. I just want to be able to sort of make sure that everyone’s voice is heard.”
Gariepy was nominated for the Youth Council by Superintendent Garette Tebay of the Saskatchewan Rivers School Division. Tebay nominated Gariepy because of her work with the Saskatchewan Rivers Students for Change.
“Hadley served as the secretary for the SRSC last year and was an exemplary member of the group,” Tebay wrote in an email to the Daily Herald. “Hadley is very good at giving all students the opportunity to share their voice, and as secretary, did a phenomenal job capturing the voice of the group in our meeting notes. She will represent the students of our school division well.”
When told of the logic behind the nomination, Gariepy was flattered.
“That’s very sweet,” she said. “That’s very nice that people think of me that way, because I do try to present myself in that way. That means a lot.”
Gariepy is in her second year on the SRSC and was recently elected President for the 2025-2026 school year. She said that her work on the Youth Council and SRSC have similar goals of bringing student voice to work in education.
“We’re kind of one of the only divisions that has something like that. It’s really an interesting perspective to bring to the youth council as well,” she said.
This year’s Youth Council consists of 12 high school students from across the province in Grades 10 to 12.
Throughout the year, council members will engage in several meaningful discussions with the Ministry of Education to offer their insights on various education-related priorities, including policies, curriculum and programs. Their contributions will help ensure that Saskatchewan’s education system continues to reflect the voices and experiences of students.
Along with Gariepy other members of the 2025-26 Youth Council include Alexander Frostad, Good Spirit School Division; Clair Taylor, South East Cornerstone School Division; Cooper Leckie, Lloydminster Catholic School Division; Dylan Fleischhacker, Horizon School Division; Emma Windecker, Prairie Valley School Division; Faizal Oganla, Regina Public School Division; Grace King, Prairie South School Division; Jason Agomuoh, Christ the Teacher Catholic School Division; Julia Wiens, Sun West School Division; Logan Duchscherer, Chinook School Division and Mahikan Nabi, Saskatoon Public School Division
Youth Council members recently met in Saskatoon to begin their term with an orientation designed to equip them for the year ahead. The session introduced their roles and responsibilities and included a discussion on the Provincial Education Plan.
The Youth Council was established in 2019 and provides a platform for student leaders aged 16 and older to contribute their unique insights and personal experiences within the education system.
“I am excited to welcome these outstanding students to the Youth Council,” Education Minister Everett Hindley said in a press release.
“Each of them has embraced the opportunity to be a leader within their schools and communities. Their perspectives are essential in helping shape a more responsive and positive education system for all Saskatchewan students.”
For this year’s selection process, school divisions were encouraged to nominate up to two students. Additionally, eligible independent schools, historical high schools and the Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre were invited to nominate one student.
Gariepy left with one final thought for the Youth Council.
“I just think my whole thing is safety and equity,” she said.
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
