When Grade 12 student, Toshani Sharma, sits down with students from across Saskatchewan this year, she’ll be bringing a Saskatoon Public Schools perspective to the table — along with years of experience advocating for others.

The Centennial Collegiate student has been selected as Saskatoon Public Schools’ representative on the Government of Saskatchewan’s 2026-27 Youth Council.

Toshani is one of a dozen Grade 11 and 12 students from across the province who will meet throughout the school year to share their perspectives with the Ministry of Education. Council members will provide feedback on areas including curriculum, policy, and school programs, helping bring student experiences directly into conversations about education in Saskatchewan.

For Toshani, it’s an opportunity to make sure students have a voice in decisions that ultimately affect them.

“We’re the end users,” she said, explaining that she was drawn to the opportunity to bring a student perspective to conversations about policy and education.

Grade 12 Student Toshani Sharma

Different schools, different experiences

The council held its first in-person gathering in September at the University of Saskatchewan, where members participated in orientation and began getting to know one another and their roles. Most of their work will take place through monthly online meetings, with three in-person gatherings planned during the year.

Already, Toshani says one thing has stood out: just how different the student experience can be from one Saskatchewan community to another.

“I didn’t realize that our experiences could be so varied even in the same province,” she said.

As council members began sharing what matters in their schools, topics ranged from attendance and school facilities to access to extracurricular opportunities. Toshani noted that students attending larger urban schools may have access to opportunities that simply aren't available in smaller communities.

Toshani is also bringing forward issues she hears about from students in Saskatoon. One topic already on her mind is artificial intelligence and how schools navigate its use in student learning and assessment.

Active in her school community, Toshani said conversations with other students have helped her identify issues and perspectives she can bring to the provincial table.

The 2026-27 Saskatchewan Youth Council

An advocate from an early age

The Youth Council role is a natural extension of work Toshani has already been doing for years.

At 14, she founded Hope, a youth-led initiative advocating for neurodivergent people (Instagram here). Her interest began while volunteering with an organization in India in Grade 8, where she had the opportunity to work with autistic children. The experience sparked an interest in autism, neurodiversity, and advocacy that has continued to grow.

Through her Hope Talks channel on Spotify, Toshani interviews academics from around the world about topics including autism and ADHD. She has also written Autism: Life Off Script, a fictional story intended to help readers better understand the perspective and experiences of an autistic person.

Her advocacy work has also included serving as an advisory member with Autism Alliance of Canada for accessibility planning connected to the 2026 Canadian Autism Leadership Summit.

That background caught the attention of Centennial vice principal Mr. Adair, who encouraged Toshani to apply for the provincial Youth Council. After completing an extensive application process, she learned at the end of this summer that she had been selected.

Looking ahead

Over the coming months, Toshani and her fellow council members will continue meeting, sharing experiences, and identifying issues they want to explore. Their work will culminate in a trip to Regina, where they will meet with the Minister of Education and present what they have learned over the course of the year.

For Toshani, who hopes to pursue law after high school, it’s another opportunity to explore the intersection of advocacy, policy, and creating change.

It’s also an opportunity to listen.

With 12 students arriving at the table with different communities, schools and experiences behind them, Toshani is discovering that representing students isn't only about bringing forward her own perspective. It's also about hearing from others and finding common ground.

Saskatoon Public Schools will check back in with Toshani later this school year to hear what she learned, how the experience shaped her perspective, and what it was like to have a student voice at the provincial table.