By DJ Shuman
Ever since ‘92, the Nova Scotia Secondary-School Students Association (NSSSA) has been rocking the lives of kids across the province. NSSSA is a youth leadership conference run by students for students. It combines aspects of self-betterment with leadership skills to achieve the goal of creating better communities and happier, more accepting school environments.
In 1992, the first conference ever took place at St. Patrick’s High School in Halifax. By the mid-90’s, NSSSA was holding conferences around the province; most recently, universities have been the host sites.
There are three types of conferences: Provincial, Regional, and Inclusion. Provincial and Regional are self-explanatory, but the third is a little less so. Inclusion is a provincial-scale event with the goal of including all students, and is directed towards students with intellectual and physical disabilities. This year’s Inclusion conference is called SHINE 2018 and opens for registration March 9th.
The longest and largest conference under the NSSSA umbrella is the Provincial conference. This is a four-day event that usually takes place at St. Francis Xavier University on Victoria Day Weekend. This year’s Provincial conference is known as Rise Up 2018, and registration is open now until the end of March.
High school students (grades 9-12) can participate in these events and are encouraged to take an active role in both their school and community after returning. There are multiple workshops and sessions on how to make a resume, get jobs, and seek out post-secondary opportunities. And there are plenty of fun activities, such as a dance and a bunch of great keynote speakers. I remember the anticipation of walking into my first conference as both exhilarating and intimidating. Attending this conference helps students make friends and memories, both of which will last a lifetime.
If this Provincial conference sounds like something that interests you, visit NSSSA.ca for more information.
DJ Shuman is a junior at Eastern Shore District High