Niagara College Student Administrative Council (NCSAC) board members have been actively advocating for student needs and priorities at two major conferences recently: Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) Advocacy Week in Ottawa, a federal advocacy conference, and the Ontario Student Voice (OSV) provincial advocacy conference in Toronto. These opportunities allowed board members to bring Niagara College’s voice directly to decision-makers at both levels of government.
From Nov. 16-21, Leighann Longo, NCSAC Board Chair and Director of Community Services (Second-year Child and Youth Care student), and Alexis Apps, Board Secretary and Director of Hospitality and Tourism (Fourth-year Honours Bachelor of Business Administration (Hospitality) student), attended CASA Advocacy Week in Ottawa. The conference brought together over 100 student leaders from across Canada for coordinated meetings on Parliament Hill, focusing on student housing, mental health, affordability, work-integrated learning, and research funding.
“The biggest takeaway from the conference was the political aspect,” said Longo. “It can be difficult to get points across with politicians, as specific wording and mannerisms are needed to be received well. Confidentiality was also a major factor, and understanding this will help NCSAC when developing policies and advancing future advocacy asks.”
Apps reflected on advocating for apprenticeships at the conference.
“One of my personal biggest accomplishments was taking over the apprenticeship ask,” said Apps. “Because CASA is made up primarily of universities, many students did not know the challenges apprentices are facing. As a student with apprentices in my family and at a college with trades programs, I was able to offer unique insight and really sell the need for assistance. In all of my meetings, I was assigned this ask and received helpful feedback to bring back to CASA.”
Pictured with MPP Kevin Holland (third from left) are Colton Hess and Peter Almounauar during OSV Advocacy Week in Toronto.
Following the Ottawa conference, from Nov. 23-28, Peter Almounauar, Director of Media, (second-year, Broadcasting – Radio, Television and Film student) and Colton Hess, Director of Justice and Fitness (second-year Police Foundations student), attended OSV Advocacy Week in Toronto. This conference combined training sessions on provincial advocacy, policy priorities, and meeting preparation with multiple days of meetings with Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Key focus areas included mental health, food insecurity, work-integrated learning, and OSAP reform.
With a full week of meetings and training, Hess shared how staying coordinated as a group was key to their success at the conference.
“The biggest accomplishment was taking on our roles and sticking with them,” said Hess. “We didn’t flip roles constantly, which helped everyone stay prepared and confident during MPP meetings. Coming in with our stories, history, and asks made the conversations really impactful.” he added, “Meeting with MPPs and other student leaders showed us that we have supporters and that we’re not alone in advocating for student needs. It also helped me learn more about myself as a student leader and better understand the priorities of provincial decision-makers.”
Almounauar also reflected on how the conference helped the team amplify student voices.
“The Advocacy Week Conference in Toronto was all about speaking up for students’ concerns and pushing for a fair future,” he said. “OSV set out several priorities for the government to focus on, like mental health, food insecurity, and work-integrated learning. Our main focus was clearly communicating these priorities to MPPs, Ministers, and NDPs using statistics and prepared materials. The biggest accomplishment was stepping up and facing the government with what our students needed–many MPPs were big supporters, which was very encouraging. We also contributed to broader conversations with other student organizations like OUSA and CASA.”
Both conferences provided NCSAC board members with valuable skills, opportunities to network, and firsthand experience advocating for issues that impact Niagara College students. Their insights will help guide future initiatives and ensure student voices remain a central part of decision-making at both the provincial and federal levels.
