Nova Scotia Secondary School Students' Association

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The Nova Scotia Secondary School Students’ Association (NSSSA) is a student‑run group in Nova Scotia, Canada. It brings together high school students (usually in grades 9–12) to build leadership skills through regional and provincial conferences. Every secondary student in Nova Scotia is a member and can attend these events.

Governing structure
- The Provincial Cabinet (PC) leads NSSSA. It includes the President, Vice-President Internal, Vice-President External, and Past President, along with regional leaders.
- Regional Cabinets run local conferences and coordinate with the PC. There are six regional cabinets, each led by two Co-Premiers.
- The Conference Committee plans the big provincial conference and works with the PC; the provincial conference is held at St. Francis Xavier University (STFX).
- Some roles are elected at the Annual General Meeting during the provincial conference, while others are appointed for one-year terms to encourage fresh ideas each year.

Provincial and regional conferences
- The NSSSA runs one large four‑day provincial conference each year at STFX, usually on the third weekend in May. About 300 students attend.
- Regional cabinets host smaller one‑night conferences for students in their area. These can attract from about 12 to 500 attendees and vary by region.
- Regions include Strait, Cape Breton‑Victoria, Chignecto, Metro, Sou’West Valley, and Valley.

What happens at the provincial conference
- Skillbuilding is central. Delegates join small groups with trained facilitators called Skillbuilders for activities that boost confidence, empathy, inclusion, and communication.
- Each day has interactive sessions, keynote speakers, elections, and social events. Sessions run from one to three hours, with eight sessions across the weekend.
- The weekend opens with Welcoming Activities and an Opening Ceremony. Groups do First Impressions at the start and Last Impressions at the end to remember how relationships grew.
- There is a big Saturday night dance with a traditional finale song. The weekend ends with a Closing Ceremony and a barbecue.
- Rules and guidelines help keep the environment respectful and inclusive. The conference highlights the “3D’s” and the Eight Key Concepts, which cover respectful dialogue, equal participation, and focusing on ideas rather than people.

Traditions and culture
- WENDYs are the keepers of NSSSA cheers and a book called the Cheer Bible. They sometimes lead Spirit War, Repeat After Me cheers, and other celebrations during the conference.
- Since 2014, the provincial conference has used a simple phrase to name each year’s theme instead of acronyms.

Accessibility and changes
- An Inclusion Conference (GOAL and GROWTH) was held in the mid-2000s, but NSSSA ended the Inclusion Conference program in August 2023 due to declining numbers.
- In September 2023, NSSSA appointed a Program Lead for Accessibility to improve accessibility and advocate for participants with disabilities.

History
- NSSSA started as an idea in 1986 and held its first provincial conference in 1992, originally called L.I.N.K. as a smaller, early version of today’s NSSSA.
- Regional conferences began in the mid‑1990s to give more schools a chance to participate.

In short, NSSSA is a student-led effort in Nova Scotia to develop leadership through large and small conferences, with a strong emphasis on skillbuilding, teamwork, and inclusive, respectful dialogue.