Women, LGBT students, people of colour encouraged to lead student union
'You don’t see as many people similar to yourself in those leadership positions'
The UPEI Student Union is offering a one-day boot camp to try to get more people from under-represented groups running for council.
The workshop is modeled after the University of Alberta Student Union's Stride program, which is designed to encourage women, LGBT students and people of colour to take on leadership roles on campus.
Stride was launched to fix an inequity where only 30 per cent of council seats at the University of Alberta were filled by women from 2005-16, despite having a student body that's 56 per cent women.
Emma Drake, vice-president academic and external for the union, said UPEI's record is similar and that dynamic is difficult to change.
"As an under-represented group, oftentimes because you don't see as many people similar to yourself in those leadership positions you don't feel as comfortable pursuing them," said Drake.
"So with that, we wanted to create a one-day boot camp in February that will take place during the nomination period of the spring elections."
The boot camp will include tips on confidence and public speaking, dealing with adversity such as sexism, homophobia or racism, as well as a primer on how the students union works.
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With files from Island Morning