Minister details how youth cabinet will give students a direct voice

GREAT BAY--The Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (ECYS), Melissa Gumbs, has provided further details on the recently launched application round for the “MECYS Youth Cabinet,” outlining how the new platform will bring secondary school students into direct dialogue with the Ministry on education and youth policy following its official launch last week. The initiative has been developed in close collaboration with the Department of Youth and is linked to its ongoing work on youth engagement and participation across the country.

All secondary schools have received an invitation to nominate one Youth Cabinet representative and one alternate. Both students from each school will be invited to structured meetings with the Minister, members of her cabinet and relevant policy makers within the Ministry, starting on February 5, 2026. The Youth Cabinet will be asked to share their views on how the Ministry should evolve to better serve students and how St. Maarten itself can better respond to the needs and realities of young people.

No secondary school has been excluded. In addition to the academic high schools, the Ministry has explicitly included vocational and technical schools, such as SMVTS, Sundial and Academy VBC, reflecting Minister Gumbs’ focus on removing stigma around vocational education and ensuring that every student voice is heard. Private schools, Learning Unlimited Preparatory School and Caribbean International Academy, are also part of the initiative.

The Minister explained that at some schools, representatives will be chosen from existing Student Government Associations. At schools without an SGA, interested students are encouraged to approach school management to express their interest in serving as Youth Cabinet representatives. The expectation is that representatives will not only participate in meetings, but will also report back to their classmates and gather input on issues that students want brought to the table.

Minister Gumbs made special mention of youth organization Teen Times which has been a key partner in promoting the Youth Cabinet. Following an informative meeting with the Minister, Teen Times has helped spread the word through youth friendly messaging and a video via its platforms encouraging students to step forward and take part.

The first Youth Cabinet meeting will follow a set agenda to allow for introductions and orientation. After that, the intention is for students themselves to set the agenda, identify priority topics and lead the discussions they want to have with the Minister, cabinet members and Ministry staff. The goal is to create a space for open, frank conversations that can lead to concrete actions within ECYS and help build real civic participation among young people.

Minister Gumbs sees the Youth Cabinet as one of the most comprehensive and direct mechanisms for youth participation ever established within her Ministry, and an important step for government in general. The clear expectation is that the Youth Cabinet will not be a talking shop, but a channel through which student perspectives inform decisions and help shape policy and practice in education and youth affairs.

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