More than 6,000 students from across Canada took part in the inaugural Youth Voices: Canada’s Priorities program, sharing their perspectives on the issues shaping Canada’s future.

The program gave students an opportunity to explore how governments set priorities and make decisions. Through classroom-ready lessons, videos, and hands-on activities, students examine real government announcements, consider competing priorities, and reflect on what they believe should matter most for Canada today. 

Participants were also provided informational videos featuring journalist Althia Raj, along with messages from federal political leaders including Mark Carney and Pierre Poilievre.

Student responses were collected through a national consultation survey, and the findings are now available.

What students told us

The 2026 results highlight a generation that is engaged, thoughtful, and aware of the trade-offs involved in public decision-making. A full report on the results, prepared by Abacus Data, is available here. 

Key findings include:

• Students expressed strong optimism about their own futures and growing confidence in Canada’s direction.
• Affordability emerged as the dominant concern, with the cost of living, housing, and healthcare identified as top priorities for government action.
• While many students feel hopeful about their personal prospects, fewer report optimism about the state of the world more broadly.

Taken together, the results suggest students are both hopeful and clear-eyed about the challenges facing Canada today.

Looking ahead

Findings from the consultation will be shared with Members of Parliament, government officials, and other decision-makers to ensure young Canadians’ perspectives are reflected in national policy conversations.

Youth Voices: Canada’s Priorities was presented by CIVIX with support from the Government of Canada. The program will return in 2027, and CIVIX looks forward to engaging more youth from throughout the country in this initiative.