OUR WORKING GROUPS

Each Working Group is led by two Co-Chairs or one Chair. Co-Chairs/Chairs are responsible for developing and executing Working Group initiatives alongside their general members. While the Co-Chairs/Chairs ultimately report to the Operations Coordinator, they control the overall direction of their working group and, consequently, the specific initiatives of their group.

Indigenous Relations

Chair: Isaiah Shafqat

The Indigenous Relations Working Group educates peers of the barriers Indigenous students in Ontario face today and supports the Calls to Action for reconciliation as outlined by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.

Communications

Co-Chairs: Brady Kuzma, Rosa Yu

The Communications Working Group  is responsible for crafting content to strengthen and promote OSTA-AECO’s brand. This working group generates creative content for OSTA-AECO’s social media platforms and designs visual assets for provincial campaigns. During conferences, this group aids in providing world-class professional development to student trustees as they transition into their roles. This includes updating the Student Trustee Handbook, an important reference tool for those in the role.

French Relations

Co-Chairs: Weiqi Xu, Olivia Hiehn

The French Relations Working Group works to identify the unique barriers students in French programming face by researching the state of French education, and to amplify the voices of our Francophone and/or Francophile students.

Student Well-Being

Co-Chairs: Prisha Bhavsar, Madelyn Gaskell

The Student Well-Being Working Group gives students appropriate resources and tools to help destigmatize the culture surrounding both physical and mental illness; discusses solutions to ensure equitable access to mental health resources in schools.

Ontario Student Voice Awards

Co-Chairs: Cindy Wang, Gloria Li

The OSVAs Working Group awards scholarships to recognize students across Ontario who demonstrate academic excellence and community leadership.

Equity and Inclusion

Co-Chairs: Sophie Nwaoha, Ethan Ruggiero

The Equity and Inclusion Working Group seeks to educate students on topics relating to equity (e.g. anti-racism, 2SLGBTQ+ issues, etc.) and advocate for equitable and inclusive practices in Ontario education.

Environmental Sustainability

Co-Chairs: Arianna Chua, Jocelyn Kuntsi

The Environmental Sustainability Working Group seeks to uphold a sense of environmental responsibility by motivating and educating students about the potential impacts of climate change, and on how dependent we are on the health of our Earth for survival.

Steffen Zylstra

Steffen Zylstra

Operations Coordinator

As Operations Coordinator, Steffen facilitates communication between Working Group Co-Chairs and the Executive Council. He supports the Working Group Co-Chairs with the initiatives they have planned for the year, aiding them with logistics and general management. He also ensures that the Working Groups have sufficient resources and contacts throughout the year.