Unpacking IGNITE’s 2025-2026 advocacy year

Our future, yOur choice.

The 2025-2026 school year was one of the most remarkable in recent memory — not for the reasons we had hoped, though.

We like to think that advocacy at IGNITE is about pushing things forward and making student life better, more accessible and more equitable. For example, championing free menstrual products across all Humber Polytechnic and the University of Guelph-Humber campuses.

But this year, a lot of our work was about moving forward and pushing back.

With the provincial government making major changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) and the introduction of Bill 33, students are facing new challenges that hit close to home. This year, advocacy meant standing up for things that should already be basic rights.

It’s been a busy and important couple of months. Here’s a breakdown of IGNITE’s advocacy work and the recent news on each of our campaigns.

Time is Money

Photo by IGNITE.

IGNITE’s Time is Money campaign is all about pushing for mandatory paid work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities.

As students, we know that co-ops and internships play a huge role in building our skills. But in this economy, we must — and deserve — to get paid.

We kicked off the year by bringing your concerns about unpaid work to Queen’s Park at the Advocacy Summit.

Student Advocates Emily Edwards and Selena Ferreira met with Members of the Provincial Parliament (MPPs) and shared stories they hear from students every day. Many are balancing full-time unpaid placements while trying to cover their expenses.

This was just a week after MPP Peggy Sattler (London West) highlighted our campaign at Queen’s Park and presented the data we’ve collected during her speech.

We know change happens when the right people are listening, so we continued these conversations with decision-makers. Just last month, on March 17, we welcomed MPPs Lee Fairclough (Etobicoke-Lakeshore) and Tyler Watt (Nepean) to the Humber Lakeshore campus.

A woman in a gray sweater sits attentively at a conference table with black chairs. — *Photos by IGNITE.*

A man in a suit gestures while speaking at a conference table. A woman besides him listens attentively. — *Photos by IGNITE.*

They showed their support and plan to raise this issue in the legislature.

Emily and Selena also recently met with Derek Stockley, Humber’s Associate Vice President, Academic, to discuss how unpaid placements are presented on Humber’s website. Stockley invited the IGNITE advocacy team to join WIL manager meetings to share Time is Money’s milestones and students’ stories.

This work is a bit like tying a shoe. You make the bunny ears, cross them over and pull everything together — talking to students, meeting with MPPs and presenting data to Humber’s administration.

It’s about “touching em all” to create real change.

Bill 33

A group of seven people dressed in formal attire are standing together at Queen’s Park. — *Photo by IGNITE.*

With the recent changes to OSAP, Bill 33 might be a topic that fell to the back of your mind. Well, it hasn’t been off ours.

Support Children and Students Act (Bill 33) 2025 passed on Nov. 19. In a nutshell, it gives the provincial government more power over regulating ancillary fees and introduced merit-based admission process that could impact diversity in classrooms.

What does that actually mean for you? This could affect funding for your beloved student spaces like the Zen Zone and the Sleep Slounge, essential services such as the Soupbar and even funding for clubs.

The things that make campus feel like more than just classes could be gone in the blink of an eye.

The good news is that the College Student Alliance (CSA) will be part of the consultation process as the details of this bill are finalized.

We’re bringing forward your concerns to CSA, making sure the government understand what these changes actually mean for students.

Changes like this shape your day-to-day student life. You deserve a say in that.

Changes to OSAP

Protesters holding signs with phrases like "Students Can't Afford Cuts" at Queen’s Park. — *Photo by IGNITE.*

OSAP, OSAP, OSAP. It feels like you’ve been hearing that a lot lately. After the Ontario government announced major changes to OSAP, we’ve been on the move ever since.

We organized buses and brought you to Queen’s Park for the Rally for Student Life in February and March, where students from across the province showed they aren’t happy with these changes.

Our Student Advocate Emily also attended the Ontario NDP’s Save OSAP Townhall and shared your concerns directly with Marit Stiles, the leader of the Official Opposition.

That adds to a growing list of MPPs who have voiced support for IGNITE’s fight to reverse the new OSAP model.

In the Etobicoke North riding, we sent Premier Doug Ford a basket with a letter and other items outlining the impact these cuts will have — and are already having — on students.

Changes to OSAP will affect hundreds of thousands of students across Ontario trying to make post-secondary education work.

Together = Stronger

Three women sit on stage in armchairs having a discussion; a book cover titled “Run Like a Girl” by Catherine McKenna is displayed on a screen behind them. — *Photo by IGNITE.*

If there’s one thing we try to build into every campaign, that’s inclusion.

Whether you rely on OSAP or not. Whether your internship is paid or unpaid. We want everyone to feel they have a place in it.

And that mindset is at the centre of our commitment to our Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging portfolio.

We kicked off February by taking part in Humber’s Black Student Support & Engagement Black Excellence Showcase. We also supported 10 upcoming student leaders through the IGNITE Black Excellence Scholarship.

For International Women’s Day, we welcomed a special guest. The former minister of environment and climate change, Catherine McKenna, joined us for a keynote where she spoke about her new book and the importance of empowering young women to step into politics.

We strive to highlight togetherness. Real change happens when students, staff and student unions come together, learn from each other and take action.

That’s what we set out to do with our first ECHO Conference last summer, and it’s happening again this year — stay tuned!

Two women sit at a table. One holds up a small whiteboard with an orange cartoon drawing on it. — *Photo by IGNITE.*

That’s the recap of our busy and deeply committed year of advocacy. As we like to say, together we can make a difference.

Keep reaching out to your local MPPs, connect with IGNITE Student Advocates and follow along and stay informed on @IGNITEStudentUnion

Your involvement helps shape the future of student life.

Feature image courtesy of IGNITE.

Wondering what our Student Advocates have been up to? Check out their attendance on Opposition Day!