Ophea’s Monthly Recognition Spotlight aims to illuminate the bright spots within the education sector through recognizing the critical work being done by community members and value-aligned organizations, and its impact on student and staff well-being. This initiative also aims to strengthen connections between the Ontario education sector with individuals and organizations serving equity-deserving groups through raising awareness of the resources and services available to Ontario educators. Read on to learn about this month’s featured Spotlight, the Students Commission of Canada (SCC), charitable organization that works to create a world where all young people transition positively into a successful adulthood.
Tell us about your organization.
The Students Commission of Canada (SCC) is a national charitable organization that purposefully works with others to ensure that young people are valued, heard and their ideas for improving themselves, the lives of their peers, and their communities are put into action. We incubate ideas directly with youth, working in partnership with youth and other organizations on all projects. We focus on being a node in the web of schools and Canadian organizations that promotes the exchange of knowledge and expertise among youth and organizations to promote all youth thriving in a healthy Canada.
What are some guiding principles that are important to your organization?
The SCC embeds a strength-based youth/adult partnership approach. Our core values, known as our Four Pillars – Respect, Listen, Understand and Communicate™ – are the heart of our work. To bring these values to life, we weave four messages through our work:
- Everyone has value. Be curious.
- There are skills I can learn to be more inclusive.
- Diversity is a strength; being open to new ideas, experiences and people helps youth grow and thrive.
- Creating space to have difficult discussions is beneficial for people of all ages and will help society bridge divides and work together for common goals.
This approach leads to schools and societies that are built around shared values, find value in differences, and work together to find a place for everyone to belong.
What is a recent initiative that you are proud of?
The Hearing Unheard Moments (HUM) is national project led by the Students Commission of Canada in partnership with schools, government, and community organizations. HUM strengthens social cohesion through clear core messaging disseminated by all project partners that foster creating inclusive cultures. HUM’s goal is to provide healthier, upstream safer spaces off-line and on-line for all students to grow and thrive; HUM's partners provide spaces to be heard, explore differences and still belong – spaces to talk, process, and act on challenges they face – spaces to voice grievances and concerns and prevent them from turning into hate and violence.
Learning skills to be inclusive, hear unheard moments, open the circle, equips people to create safer spaces for conversations and interactions. If enough people exercise these skills daily and influence others, collectively we can shift current cultural norms to more positive ones.
“[At] school, most the time when a conversation pops up [...] it immediately gets scary or it's going to end up in an argument [...] but in a space like this [...] you're able to talk about what you believe in, and why you believe in them and be able to hear other points of view without anyone arguing or yelling about it or it being really uncomfortable." (Student)
What is an upcoming initiative that you are excited about?
Our annual imaginative, hands-on, and co-created knowledge exchange, Against the Current, will be held at the Toronto Reference Library on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 from 8:30am-5pm EDT. This year marks the SCC’s 35th anniversary as a youth voice node within Canada’s youth-serving networks and we’ll be exploring the theme "Raise or Raze – How do our systems shape youth futures?" We will unpack culture shifts that empower young people to thrive, while critically examining barriers still holding youth back.
Canada Research Chairs, youth leaders, and innovative educators from across Canada will engage in a series of sessions designed to spark meaningful dialogue and learn techniques that will help you shift classroom and school cultures. Each dynamic front-of-the-room experience transitions into interactive breakout sessions for:
- Creative and artistic expression
- Hands-on/kinesthetic activities
- Deep dialogue and resource sharing
- Collaborative program design
Sessions will be intergenerational, supported by youth representatives, SCC staff, and interdisciplinary partners from the Centre of Excellence for Youth Engagement.
We hope you’ll join us in reflecting, challenging, and co-creating the future of youth engagement in Canada.
Register for the Against the Current knowledge exchange event. A virtual option of Against the Current is also available.
How can our audience support your organization’s goals?
School leaders and educators are invited to join a national collaboration striving to establish healthier, safer, and more inclusive schools and communities for all young people to thrive. You’re invited to incorporate Hearing Unheard Moments (HUM) resources, core messages, and programming offered by a growing number of HUM partners into your classroom and schools. Discover curricula for primary and secondary students and your context by visiting our Menu of Resources and Services.
What is one thing you wish people knew about your organization?
The Students Commission of Canada runs the Centre of Excellence for Youth Engagement with leading academics across Canada. Together, we conduct research on the outcomes of practices, programs, and techniques of engaging youth in activities that support them to contribute to their schools, communities, and civil society. In collaboration with the Centre of Excellence for Youth Engagement, we publish and share knowledge about what works for different populations of youth and share information about issues and challenges youth are facing and the solutions they propose. The SCC uses the evidence gathered to assist others, including schools, governments, and other organizations, to evaluate their own programs and to design strategies to more effectively engage and support young people.
Follow the Students Commission of Canada on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
To learn more, visit the Students Commission of Canada website or by directly emailing: [email protected].
