Teen Times backs MECYS Youth Cabinet, urges schools, students and parents to get involved

GREAT BAY--Youth media organization Teen Times has pledged full support for the newly launched MECYS Youth Cabinet and is urging all secondary school boards to respond positively to Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports (MECYS) Melissa Gumbs’ call for student nominations. Teen Times has started its own awareness campaign to encourage students to ask their school management to take part, following a recent briefing meeting with Minister Gumbs in which the group pledged its support for the initiative.

“We hear young people say all the time that their voices are not taken seriously,” Teen Times said. “Even with what we do through our own platforms, a formal Youth Cabinet is historic and vital. It gives committed young people a real chance to help shape policy, not just talk about it on social media or in school.”

The MECYS Youth Cabinet is a structured platform where secondary school students will advise the Minister on key policy issues. Each funded secondary school, including Learning Unlimited Preparatory School (LUPS) and Caribbean International Academy (CIA), has been asked to nominate one student representative and one alternate for the 2025–2026 school year.

Cabinet members are expected to take part in bi-monthly meetings starting Thursday, February 5, 2026, where they will engage directly with the Minister and key stakeholders on issues such as access to education, student well-being, school safety, mental health, and future planning.

Teen Times is calling on all school boards and school managers who received the MECYS letter to treat this as a priority. “We are asking every principal, school manager, director and school board to look carefully at the students in their classrooms and give them this opportunity,” Teen Times said. “Do not put the letter aside. Nominate young people who are serious about service, who want to learn how government works, and who are ready to speak up for their peers.”

Nominees must not be in their exam year, must be in good academic and social standing, and must show leadership qualities and an interest in civic participation. Schools have been asked to submit the names and contact details of their chosen students by Friday, January 23, 2026, using the MECYS Youth Cabinet Nomination Form.

Teen Times is also appealing directly to parents. “If your child is nominated, please support them,” the group added. “Make room in their schedule where possible, show up when they need a ride, listen when they want to talk through issues. This Youth Cabinet is a chance for your child to sit at the table where decisions are discussed.”

The organization said the Youth Cabinet aligns with its long-standing mission to educate, empower and give young people a voice. “For more than 30 years, we have tried to make sure that young people in St. Maarten are seen and heard,” Teen Times stated. “This initiative from Minister Gumbs takes that to another level. Young people will not only write or speak about change, they will be part of the process that leads to that change. This is an amazing initiative by the Minister.”

By creating a formal Youth Cabinet, the Ministry aims to:

• Give students practical experience in democratic processes, consultation, and decision making.

• Strengthen policies by incorporating lived experiences and perspectives from classrooms, neighborhoods, and youth organizations.

• Develop a new generation of civic-minded leaders who understand how government works and how to advocate constructively

• Build stronger links between schools, the Department of Youth, and policy makers, ensuring that feedback on education and youth issues is continuous rather than one-off.

• Encourage young people to see themselves as partners in nation building, not only as beneficiaries of policies

The Youth Cabinet model also gives government an early warning system on emerging youth concerns and trends, supports more responsive policy design, and can help improve the legitimacy and uptake of programs, since young people will have been part of their development from the start.

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