Tennille Day Chief of Big Valley has been named to the Alberta Education Minister’s Youth Council for 2018-19, the province announced Friday, June 15
Day Chief, 18 and of the Clearview Public Schools, will be invited among dozens of other students across the province to provide student voice and perspective on education issues. The council participates in different activities, such as leadership conferences and volunteer work for a 10 month period aligned with the school year.
“I still can’t get over it,” Day Chief said. “I’m excited to meet everyone and to speak about the issues I see in education.”
The issues she sees at her school and in the region are the lower-than-average graduation rates of Indigenous students and fostering language development for new immigrant students.
Tennille’s mother Crystal is proud of her daughter’s achievement, which is in addition to her work as a singer, actress, model, and volunteer for a number of causes in her young life.
“I’m extremely proud of her because she is trying to bring more community engagement in education to small rural communities,” Crystal said. “Youth voice is so valuable for our area because it gives our area a voice. I think Tennille will make a good role model for us here.”
Crystal said her daughter’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous heritage also means “she’s lived in both worlds” and can offer a unique perspective to the minister’s council.
Day Chief and the 32 other students named to the council will begin work this fall when classes resume in September.
