Introducing Our New Youth Board Members
After a long and careful deliberation, we are very excited to announce our new youth board members.
Meet Our New Youth Board Members:
⚡️ Andrea Balcázar González (Mexico)
⚡️ Ashley Pilipiszyn (USA)
⚡️ Mrinalini Shinde (Germany)
⚡️ Brian Kakembo (Uganda)
⚡️ Santiago Espinosa de los Monteros (Mexico)
⚡️ Shayan Najib (UAE)
Why recruit youth board members?
Our intention in including new youth board members was to incorporate the youth voice because we’re a youth organization and we want to better represent the community who participate in our programming so we can design the programs more effectively.
We want to improve our regional knowledge (specifically of regional equity and justice issues) recognizing the fact that our board of directors was almost all Canadian. We want to pave the way for regional committees and hiring international staff, and make sure we’re practicing what we preach with respect to our “Space for Youth” programming.
What was the selection process?
Our intention to recruit new youth board members was a 2-year process, which at first was complicated because the Alberta charity incorporation rules did not allow for board members from outside Alberta to consist of more than 50% of the board. However, this rule was changed, which allowed for this process to move forward.
During our selection process, we brought priority groups to the forefront:
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- We prioritized regional expertise and a commitment to equity and justice
- We created two spots for “developmental” candidates (i.e., under 26 without prior board experience)
- We adapted our matrices based on The Leap climate justice’s open-sourced step-by-step hiring guidelines. You can find them here.
Meet Our New Youth Board Members: (headshot, bio)
In November of 2020, Student Energy put out a call for two young people (18-35) from our alumni network to join our Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors serves as Student Energy’s legal governance body and is responsible for the adoption of bylaws and policies, the establishment of any special committees, the stewardship of long-term financial health, and the fulfillment of the organization’s mission. The Board meets on a quarterly basis by phone or video conference. The approximate time commitment is 5-7 hours/month. Terms of appointed Directors are two (2) years in length.
Applicants had to be from Student Energy’s Alumni Network. Alumni of Student Energy includes those who have taken part in any of the following programs:
⚡️Student Energy Chapter
⚡️Student Energy Summit
⚡️SevenGen
⚡️The Leaders Fellowship
⚡️Greenpreneurs
⚡️Space for Youth
⚡️The Global Youth Energy Outlook
You can find the full position description here: Board of Director Position Description.