Author: Eunice Oquialda

Deon Feng: Passion Conference

Eunice Oquialda May 25, 2020

Deon Feng from British Columbia organized a​ Ted Talk in their school community

TELL US ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES AND IMPACT OF YOUR PROJECT

The activities involved with our project were organized and submitted in a proposal format to our sponsor teacher, Mr. Hayes, at the beginning of September. As a team, we were flexible to change and shifted our proposal as need arose. Activities included, but were not limited to, permissions and application for an official TEDx license, securing the food catering company, gathering resources such as goodie bag items through sponsorships, borrowing tech equipment, securing the multi-purpose room as a venue, pre-planning speaker workshops, inviting community representatives, setting up and taking down the event, and executing the TEDxGleneagleSecondary event to the highest quality.

 

TED is something that has impacted us in the past and TEDxGleneagleSecondary is the opportunity for us to facilitate this same impact to our community. We also wanted to organize this event to discover and voice some hidden gems within the Coquitlam area, to not only inspire change in audiences but to empower people who have ideas to share. The committee aimed to create a platform to exchange these stories, encourage open, honest, and vulnerable dialogue on the world we live in, and empower individuals about their potential in life through newfound connections.

TELL US HOW YOU RECRUITED AND INVOLVED YOUR PEERS IN THE PROJECT

Everyone in the 6-member committee chose TEDxGleneagleSecondary as our leadership project because we believed in the power of a TED talk in sparking inspiration, conversation, and action. A good speech can change lives, and just as our lives have been subtly changed by all the TED talks we’ve watched growing up, we saw TEDxGleneagle Secondary as an opportunity for us to facilitate this same impact to our community. With these intentions in mind, we came together in late August to start planning for this event. Throughout the event, we had great alignment within the committee to make this event possible.

 

Potential speakers were invited to apply through personal connections or social media platforms and posters. Upon completing the application, which included an one minute introduction to their prospective talk, the committee chose six speakers and informed them of the Toastmasters workshop dates. The speakers composed of students in the SD43 school district as well as young professionals in the community. With the help of Devin Bisanz, who is a public speaking trainer, the speakers enhanced, practiced, and perfected their TED talk for the event.

 

Furthermore, there were many volunteers who helped support the set up and execution of the event who were recruited from Con-X, a leadership course in Gleneagle Secondary School.

Lucas Hung, an Award participant, was also a active member of the team. 

WHO DID YOUR PROJECT ENGAGE AND WHAT IMPACTS DID YOU AND YOUR TEAM ACHIEVE?

An approximate of 100 guests attended TEDxGleneagleSEcondary including, but not limited to, school trustees, former mayors, school councillors, principles, students, teachers, community members, and volunteers.

 

The event was be tailored to inspire the students, educators, and entrepreneurs around the Tri-Cities, a diverse community of many backgrounds, interests, and experiences. Through TEDxGleneagleSecondary, my team and I were able to discover some hidden gems within the local area, to not only inspire change in audiences but to empower people who have ideas to share. The committee created a platform to exchange stories, to encourage open, honest, and vulnerable dialogue on the world we live in, and to empower individuals about their potential in life through newfound connections. We’re happy to report that in our post-event survey, many individuals felt inspired by the leadership and talks that were shown at TEDx. Our speakers have also expressed gratitude for this opportunity to voice their lessons with the public. In likeness to the theme of our event, TEDxGleneagleSecondary acted as fuel to many people’s individual fires.

Less girls are leaving school and impacting their education as period poverty is no longer an issue. Everyone knows where to find supplies.

TELL US ABOUT THE LESSONS LEARNED THROUGH YOUR PROJECT

Before the event began, our committee came up with three ways to measure our success achieved through the TED project. After the event ended, I believe that all three goals can be considered our biggest successes by both attendees and members.


Firstly, we strived to have a maximum capacity of 100 people attend the event. This was met with various members of the community including teachers, principals, guests of speakers, community members, and invited guests. We wanted to reach maximum capacity so that the ideas generated through the TED talks outreached as many people as possible.


Secondly, our committee strived to give six speakers from our community a meaningful opportunity to share their ideas on the big stage. This was achieved extremely well and all the speakers shared that their experience on the TED stage was positive and was thoroughly inspired by the other speakers presenting their innovative ideas as well.


Thirdly, our goal was to impact others by sparking inspiration and dialogue in the community during and after the event. We met this goal by measuring the impact of the event through conversations the committee members had with attendees, as well as through the survey that was sent to everyone in the audience.

Overall, we were received by positive feedback and constructive criticism. Furthermore, the social media outreach through the event was incredible and we had many of our invited guests share their thoughts of the event through platforms such as Facebook.

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TEDx Gleneagle Secondary is fully organized by students and volunteers.

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Ailish McDonald: Care aid for young women

Eunice Oquialda May 25, 2020

Ailish McDonald from Alberta supports her peers by distributing menstrual products

TELL US ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES AND IMPACT OF YOUR PROJECT

Through my Passion to Purpose Community Grant, I was able to purchase feminine hygiene products through Amazon.ca and have them distributed at school. I started by having bags on hooks in bathroom stalls. These were not as successful as we hoped as people took them. We then recycled coffee cans and made them into hall passes, put posters in the bathrooms to let students know where to find period supplies, and made coffee can supply kits for the bathrooms, including the unisex bathroom. Hooks were installed into the bathrooms to be able to have girls have their purses on the door not the floor. Our bathrooms are open so there is minimal privacy. Now, girls have better access to feminine hygiene and less girls are leaving the school due to having issues.

TELL US HOW YOU RECRUITED AND INVOLVED YOUR PEERS IN THE PROJECT

I talked to other students that had done SEEDs at Holy Trinity Catholic High School. I was able to get a couple of girls from student council and was able to have my sister help. There was also some staff support at the school.

WHO DID YOUR PROJECT ENGAGE AND WHAT IMPACTS DID YOU AND YOUR TEAM ACHIEVE?

I engaged 1300 students and staff at our school. My target participants were Grades 7-9 girls and transgender students.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS ACHIEVED THROUGH YOUR PROJECT

Less girls are leaving school and impacting their education as period poverty is no longer an issue. Everyone knows where to find supplies.

TELL US ABOUT THE LESSONS LEARNED THROUGH YOUR PROJECT

I should have started with the hall pass and coffee can idea. The bags were too easy for students to take and run off with. 

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Ailish organizes her care packages for giveaway.

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Isabella Grajczyk: International Women’s Day Brunch

Eunice Oquialda May 25, 2020

Isabella Grajczyk from Saskatchewan Celebrates the women in her community through International Women’s Day Brunch

TELL US ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES AND IMPACT OF YOUR PROJECT

I organized an Early International Women’s Day Brunch which was held on March 1, 2020. My helpers and I arrived at the hall at 9 am to begin the set up. The event began at 10 a.m. and that is when people started to arrive at the Cosmo Senior Centre in Moose Jaw. All 50 of the free tickets were spoken for but only 42 actually ended up attending. Once the majority of people were seated, I made my opening statements and introduction at 10:30. We then enjoyed the brunch catered by Carol’s Catering. After the meal, the guest speaker Christine Boyczuk gave a wonderful speech about the importance of supporting other women and being there for one another. Her inspirational words were a great addition to the event! After her speech, there were dainties from the Maple Leaf Bakery that were served. After the dainties, a draw was made for the 15 door prizes that were generously donated by local businesses in Moose Jaw. For the people that did not receive door prizes, they were welcome to take the flowers home that were on the tables. After the door prizes, I made a short closing speech and thanked everyone for attending the Early International Women’s Day Brunch. After the event, I received many positive comments about the success of the brunch. Many people told me how important they thought it was and what a great idea this type of event was for Moose Jaw. I also spoke with a reporter and she wrote a story in our local paper about the event. The event helped to bring women from the community of Moose Jaw together to celebrate and support one another. There was a diverse range of women who attended the event. Women of all ages, backgrounds, and career paths attended the event and showed their support. I was very grateful that so many women felt the desire to be a part of this event.

TELL US HOW YOU RECRUITED AND INVOLVED YOUR PEERS IN THE PROJECT

In order to recruit peers to help plan my event I first looked to the people around me. My sister Sophia offered to create the poster for the event, as well as the programs that were displayed on each table. My boyfriend Joey also helped me organize the brunch and he helped a lot with the set up and the take down of the event. In order to recruit more of my peers I went to social media. In an Instagram story I asked if anyone would be interested in helping. Four of my peers, two that I had known from high school and two from university offered to help. They helped to spread awareness about the brunch to get more people interested and they also helped me approach local businesses for door prize donations. These four peers did not want to be featured in the newspaper article but I made sure to acknowledge their contributions on the day of the event. Had it not been for my peers, and the support of my family, the Early International Women’s Day Brunch would not have been possible.

WHO DID YOUR PROJECT ENGAGE AND WHAT IMPACTS DID YOU AND YOUR TEAM ACHIEVE?

My target audience was women and girls from all backgrounds. I wanted my event to be accessible to everyone and to include women and girls from all walks of life. I had many people come up to me after the event and tell me that they loved the diversity of the event and the different ages that were represented. I think my team was able to achieve an event that was inclusive a brought together 42 women to support and celebrate one another.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS ACHIEVED THROUGH YOUR PROJECT

There were some bumps along the way that I would change for next time. One of my biggest challenges was getting a hold of the coordinator from the organization – Girl Guides of Canada. She had agreed for me to do this project for the girls in November, but it was hard to get responses from her. I didn’t hear conformation from her until January. Many of the details were delayed and I learned a lot for next time. It was hard for me to find a balance of being nice but also getting answers. When I do this again, I will be clearer of what I am doing and what I need from the get go.

TELL US ABOUT THE LESSONS LEARNED THROUGH YOUR PROJECT

I think my biggest success was bringing together women and girls from all over the community. Women and girls who attended were able to enjoy a free brunch, an encouraging message from Christine Boyczuk, and door prizes donated by local businesses. The event achieved its purpose, which was to celebrate and support the women of Moose Jaw.

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Isabella Grajczyk welcomes the women in her community!​

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Shelan Emre: Sleepover for low-income children

Eunice Oquialda May 25, 2020

Shelan Emre from Manitoba organized a sleepover for low-income youth

TELL US ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES AND IMPACT OF YOUR PROJECT

My project was a sleepover event for low-income youth in Winnipeg. We did activities focusing on the pillars of Duke of Ed: Skill, Service, Physical and Adventure. For service, we wrote cards to the Canadian Armed Forces. For skill, we baked muffins and made cards. For physical we made muffins and for adventure we did a scavenger hunt. The project was developed in the hopes that the kids would have the opportunity to learn new skills and have a fun weekend they wouldn’t have necessarily had the opportunity to have.

TELL US HOW YOU RECRUITED AND INVOLVED YOUR PEERS IN THE PROJECT

I recruited my friends as support for the project! Each played a different role, some helped me fine tune my planning while others helped at the event. Some were hesitant to help because it was something new for them to do while others were very excited for the challenge. In the end everyone was a great help and enjoyed the event.

WHO DID YOUR PROJECT ENGAGE AND WHAT IMPACTS DID YOU AND YOUR TEAM ACHIEVE?

The project was targeted to youth age 10-12 and we offered the group a fun filled weekend. After a long week at school the kids were able to come to our event and have lots of fun and try new things. 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS ACHIEVED THROUGH YOUR PROJECT

There were some bumps along the way that I would change for next time. One of my biggest challenges was getting a hold of the coordinator from the organization – Girl Guides of Canada. She had agreed for me to do this project for the girls in November, but it was hard to get responses from her. I didn’t hear conformation from her until January. Many of the details were delayed and I learned a lot for next time. It was hard for me to find a balance of being nice but also getting answers. When I do this again, I will be clearer of what I am doing and what I need from the get go.

TELL US ABOUT THE LESSONS LEARNED THROUGH YOUR PROJECT

There were two lessons I learned through my project lesson. Lesson one was that working with a team makes a project significantly easier. The team I worked with helped with tasks such as packing boxes, planning the event and helping the event run smoothly. Without a team the event would have be much more complicated to put together so I am thankful for them. Lesson two is that putting together an event like this is much easier than you think. I gave myself enough time to plan the event, I met with the right people to make the event possible and I worked in teams. All these actions are simple yet powerful and they allowed for my event to happen.  

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Shelan Emre 

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Rochelle Prasad: Climate Change Challenge

Eunice Oquialda May 25, 2020

Rochelle Prasad from BC empowers her community through Climate Change Challenge

TELL US ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES AND IMPACT OF YOUR PROJECT

The Climate Change Challenge Mini Series, is a series of workshops where participants can enrol in a challenge, with the hopes of creating and taking action on ideas that can help keep our planet, and Canada a healthy place to live in. During this workshop, our in house facilitators lead the participants through three steps: (1) identify a climate change problem, (2) find a solution, (3) create a planning and pitching the idea to get their idea going.  

 

We had a blast empowering the next generation through our Climate Change Challenge! Participants were able to: identify and learn about the current climate crises, create action plans around it, and pitch, present to community leaders! We were able to empower 300 participants, and tie in our SDG goals as well. The final result was a pitching competition that happened during our Empowerment Gala in December

 

Watch the highlights here!

TELL US HOW YOU RECRUITED AND INVOLVED YOUR PEERS IN THE PROJECT

The entire executive team is under the age of 25, our 137 volunteers that were involved were between 15-22 years of age. We recruited them from our previous events.

WHO DID YOUR PROJECT ENGAGE AND WHAT IMPACTS DID YOU AND YOUR TEAM ACHIEVE?

We successfully connected and engaged Grades 3-12 and their families, through this program, we were able to develop strong action plans for the next generation to carry out.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS ACHIEVED THROUGH YOUR PROJECT

Being able to connect local leaders, to council members, to the federal government, and get them to all act on local change and support the next generation.

TELL US ABOUT THE LESSONS LEARNED THROUGH YOUR PROJECT

The biggest lesson I learned is that my team should’ve advertise and market our event earlier.

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Photo of Bailey Francis

Bailey Francis: Blankets by Bailey

Eunice Oquialda May 25, 2020

Bailey Francis from Ontario organizes blanket making workshop and donates to community

TELL US ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES AND IMPACT OF YOUR PROJECT

Winters are cold. Staying warm is often a huge problem for Canada’s homeless population. Providing organizations with blankets that they can then provide to their clients can make a huge impact! Not only is it nice for these clients to have an item that they can all their own, but the blankets can help prevent unnecessary medical conditions such as frostbite.  Blankets By Bailey has donated to and will to continue to donate to multiple different organizations, we are able to reach multiple populations. ​

Through my project I was able to do six workshops. Five of them were in school presentations and one was with a community group. All of the workshops focused on giving back to the community. We were able to make a total of 33 blankets that have been donated to three different local shelters.

WHO DID YOUR PROJECT ENGAGE AND WHAT IMPACTS DID YOU AND YOUR TEAM ACHIEVE?

My target audience was grade 3-8 students. I believe I was able to create valuable discussions about the importance of community service with the students I worked with. Hopefully, inspiring them to get involved in their communities.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS ACHIEVED THROUGH YOUR PROJECT

The biggest success I achieved through my project was being able to involve youth in a community project that I have been working on for a long time and create dialogue about the importance of community involvement.

TELL US ABOUT THE LESSONS LEARNED THROUGH YOUR PROJECT

I’m still relatively new to the presenting about Blankets by Bailey. It’s a work in progress still but the more I present the more comfortable I get with it.

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Andrew Chen: 3D Maker Club

Eunice Oquialda May 25, 2020

Andrew Chen from Prince Edward established the 3D Maker Club for his community

TELL US ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES AND IMPACT OF YOUR PROJECT

I established a 3D Maker Club at the Confederation Centre Public Library in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, with the objective of enabling individuals to “make what you dream”. I ran the Club during the summer of 2019, and worked with 18 full-time registered members of the Club on how to do Computer-Aided Designing (CAD), how to assemble and operate a 3d printer, as well as how to post-process 3d printed objects and maintain equipment. The Club ran on weekends for 2 hours per week. Throughout weekly meetings during the summer months, I ran the club according to a self-designed curriculum. For the first week, I conducted an introduction to the 3D Maker Club and talked about how the technology is evolving and being applied to world-leading industries. At the same time, I demonstrated 3d-printed tugboat prototypes to club members to represent the advancement of the technology and how it is being domesticated rapidly. Additionally, I was able to install critical CAD Softwares on team members’ computers. For the second and third week, I dedicated time to teach the Club regarding 2D and 3D designing functions and how to turn their imagination to digital objects. Throughout those two weeks, club members expanded upon their creativity and were able to complete various objectives using CAD to create digital models. In the fourth week, club members were given the task to assemble their own 3d printers in groups, and the club was able to completely assemble 3 3d printers throughout the duration of 2 hours. With the time left, teams were prompted to use the 3d printers to print their designs from weeks before. In the last week, club members learned about the maintenance of 3d printers, how to post-process 3d prints (ie. sanding), and celebrated their achievements through a pizza party and the presentation of participation awards. Throughout the 3D Maker Club journey, individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences were given the opportunity to learn what 3d printing is, how to CAD, assemble and use a 3d printer, as well as to maintain equipment, and were given a well-rounded introduction to the 3d printing industry.

 

Additionally, the Club was also able to assist in the process of a CBC interview regarding their endeavours, which at the same time promoted Duke of E and CSC through two CBC articles online.  

TELL US HOW YOU RECRUITED AND INVOLVED YOUR PEERS IN THE PROJECT

I was able to recruit and involve various like-minded peers throughout this project through reaching out to them regarding the initiative, demonstrating my passion for serving the community, and convincing them to support me throughout the process.


For instance, I went through a rigorous process in terms of proposing the 3D Maker Club idea to the Confederation Centre Library, and worked with various staff members and executive members to discuss the various risks and rewards in regards to running the program. This involved meetings with the library staff in charge of external affairs and specialty programs, the Friends of the Confed Centre which oversees community workshops at the Library, as well as community mentors who shared valuable insight regarding running a club.


Additionally, during the program, various staff members at the Library was involved with the Club in terms of setting up and clean up. At the same time, as the equipment was intended to be donated to the library and later set-up as a free 3d printing service, one of the staff members attended the club to learn about the operation of 3d printers and 3d designing, at the same time serving as the coordinator for other staff members. 


Furthermore, in order to gather pictures, I was able to find a volunteer photographer (high school graduate) to take pictures throughout the Club meetings. While passionate about photography, the individual was also able to learn about CAD and 3d printing, and actively contributed to the Club activities in terms of assembling a 3d printer and helping others with design.


I believe that collaboration is crucial for hosting a successful project in the community, I am grateful for like-minded peers who were willing to help me and support me throughout my journey in running the 3D Maker Club.

WHO DID YOUR PROJECT ENGAGE AND WHAT IMPACTS DID YOU AND YOUR TEAM ACHIEVE?

I was able to promote the 3D Maker Club at the annual DiverseCity Multicultural Festival in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. During the event, hundreds of individuals attend, many who visited the booth. I have estimated around 250 individuals who visited my booth and asked about the 3D Maker Club or have taken promotional materials (ie flyers and keychains), in addition to the individuals who signed up on the spot. During the Club meetings, there was a total of 18 full-time members of the Club through the months of June to August.

 

My project was intended to engage members of the community who were passionate to learn about 3d printing, no matter their background, age, and experience with the technology. My objective for running the club was to give any interested individual the opportunity and the resources to learn about amazing technological advancements in the 21st century, and spark interest in further development in the field of 3d printing after the club activities. 


I was able to achieve my objective. The Club hosted a diverse group of members, ranging from youth (students in high school) to individuals in the workforce to the elderly who are fascinated by 3d printers. After the club meetings, I was inspired when I learned that individuals of the club were interested in pursuing further education in the field of 3d printing. For instance, one of the members mentioned that because of the Club, they have enrolled in a university course which teaches 3d designing on a more in-depth level.

​

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS ACHIEVED THROUGH YOUR PROJECT

My team created a safe and inclusive learning environment for all athletes and coaches. We saw a huge increase in coach knowledge and confidence throughout the weekend. Some of our coaches from rural communities were not comfortable in the water themselves and relied on videos to train their athletes. These coaches were so eager to learn and did exceptionally well throughout the weekend. Many of our youth coaches knew how to swim but were uncomfortable teaching athletes with intellectual disabilities. Our youth coaches did fantastic as well! We taught them how to break down a skill into small components. We taught them to use verbal and visual instructions to help all athletes understand.  

 

Our athletes had an incredibly successful weekend as well. We had athletes of all abilities at our swim camp and every athlete made huge strides throughout the weekend. All of the athletes improved their swimming skills, gained confidence, and had fun. One of our athletes started to swim front crawl with her eyes in the water. This was a big milestone for her as she had been swimming with her head out of the water for a number of years. Another athlete learned how to do a flip turn which he had never been instructed to do before. One athlete from a rural community had never been to a Special Olympics event like this before. His family was so excited and proud to watch him interact with other athletes and learn to swim. As a coach, I was so proud to watch each, and every athlete learns something new. All of the coaches were patient and encouraging. I was asked to travel to some of our rural communities to deliver more camps for all of the athletes. I am really looking forward to continuing this project with my peers.  

TELL US ABOUT THE LESSONS LEARNED THROUGH YOUR PROJECT

I learned so much during the preparation, promotion, operation, and conclusion of the 3D Maker Club. 
During the project proposal stage of the project, I learned that proposing a project to a government-run organization is time-consuming and intense. For instance, I scheduled numerous calls and in-person emails with library staff and officials, as well as various email exchanges in an effort to confirm the details. I learned through this stage of the project to better manage time and plan ahead.

 

Additionally, during the promotion of the project, I learned that true passion is contagious, and I am able to inspire others to be interested in something as long as I show motivation, experience, and expertise. Because I have worked with 3d printing technologies for many years, I was able to attract various club members during the DiverseCity Multicultural Festival through sharing my expertise in the technology.

 

Likewise, while running the 3D Maker Club, I realized that different individuals with diverse backgrounds have different needs. For instance, one of the club members was unable to sit for a long time because of a medical condition. Aware of that, I was able to accommodate by acquiring a wheeled chair from the library, so the individual could move the chair, stand up, and walk around without the use of excessive force. Similarly, I observed that everyone learned at a different pace. For instance, during the workshops where I lectured about CAD, while some individuals were familiar with the concept and adventurously explored the software, others may learn at a slower pace and require further instructions. This demonstrates that in order for a project to be completely inclusive, everyone’s needs have to be accounted for. 


Furthermore, I learned from helping the library set up the 3D MakerSpace that a lot of people are passionate about serving the public and fulfilling the community’s needs. The library staff members who helped with the 3D Maker Club informed me that they worked at the library not because of financial reasons, but because they wanted to contribute to the well-being of the public in terms of literacy and equality in access to literature. The staff member who volunteered to run the 3d printing service aspired to introduce even more individuals to the technology and help them develop their creativity and innovation into physical reality. Being aware of the fact that many other individuals are passionate servant-leaders inspires me to further my endeavors in the future. 


If I was to conduct this project again, the only thing I would change is to leave myself with sufficient time to prepare for meetings and events. Running a club is more time-consuming than I expected, and in order to improve upon the course content and quality of experience for club members, I should leave more time for preparation and set-up.  

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Andrew Chen talks about his 3D Maker Club during Passion to Purpose 2019 at Acadia University, Wolfville, NS.

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Erin Maitland: Experiential Learning Workshops

Eunice Oquialda May 25, 2020

Erin Maitland from Toronto organized experiential learning workshops for her students

TELL US ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES AND IMPACT OF YOUR PROJECT

I hosted a one day event for intermediate students at St. Josephine Bakhita to introduce them to the Duke of Edinburgh award program and to focus on experiential learning. There was four workshops provided focusing on skill development, community service, physical recreation, and adventure and exploration, the principles of the Duke of Edinburgh Award program. The skill workshop was coding, the physical recreation workshop was European handball, the adventure workshop focused on mapping and compass skills, and the service workshop was focused on creating 100 love boxes for the Super Sofia Project. Specifically, by exposing the students to the Award and providing them with unique opportunities that are often lacking in the community due to several barriers, such as income, accessibility, etc.

TELL US HOW YOU RECRUITED AND INVOLVED YOUR PEERS IN THE PROJECT

I asked my peers and colleagues at work for assistance. They were highly interested in assisting in opportunities for student growth.

WHO DID YOUR PROJECT ENGAGE AND WHAT IMPACTS DID YOU AND YOUR TEAM ACHIEVE?

The participants were aged 10-13. The love boxes were created for youth aged 5 to 7, 50 boys and 50 girls. Our team saw students step outside their comfort zones, learn in different ways, and make new friends across the grades. They also recognized the benefits of helping others outside their school community.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS ACHIEVED THROUGH YOUR PROJECT

My biggest success from this project would revolve around the positive feedback we received from the participants. All the participants were happy with the experience (as expressed in their surveys) and many of them came to thank us at the end of the event. Another huge success (at least for me) was the fact that we were able to finish the conference right at the time promised to the parents!

TELL US ABOUT THE LESSONS LEARNED THROUGH YOUR PROJECT

Through this project, I learned the importance of organization and collaboration. This was a project that I had started planning in the summer, and I am very happy for my decision to do so. I would have never imagined all the different responsibilities that I would have as the organizer, and so I am glad that I gave myself the time to adjust to this position. In addition, my peers all helped so much in this process and ensured a successful event for the participants. They all took full responsibility towards the tasks they had been assigned and were constantly in whatever capacity possible. 

 

If I were to change one thing about the conference, I would make the keynote presentations longer. Many of the participants expressed their interest in hearing more from the inspirational speakers at the event and even having a Q and A session with them!

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Erin Maitland during Passion to Purpose 2019 at Acadia University, Wolfville, NS

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Ubelejit Oyet: Community Clean-up

Eunice Oquialda May 25, 2020

Ubelejit Oyet from Newfoundland leads school community to a clean-up

TELL US ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES AND IMPACT OF YOUR PROJECT

When talking with my local YEA (Caitlin Whelan) I mentioned that my school has a Social Justice Committee. She suggested that I go and talk to them about my project. So after talking with the committee and my principal, the committee started working with me on the project. They helped me with planning the project, packing boxes for the project and allowed the project to run smoothly. Working with them was a enjoyable time. 

TELL US HOW YOU RECRUITED AND INVOLVED YOUR PEERS IN THE PROJECT

When talking with my local YEA (Caitlin Whelan) I mentioned that my school has a Social Justice Committee. She suggested that I go and talk to them about my project. So after talking with the committee and my principal, the committee started working with me on the project. They helped me with planning the project, packing boxes for the project and allowed the project to run smoothly. Working with them was a enjoyable time. 

WHO DID YOUR PROJECT ENGAGE AND WHAT IMPACTS DID YOU AND YOUR TEAM ACHIEVE?

My project engaged my school community, St. Bonaventure’s College, specifically the students. We achieved cleaning up the outdoor environments of St. Bonaventure’s College, Bannerman Park and Rennies Mill Trail. 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS ACHIEVED THROUGH YOUR PROJECT

The biggest success of this project, was that people actually took action and cleaned up our environment. I feel that we do a lot of talking in society and not enough doing. Through my project things were done.

TELL US ABOUT THE LESSONS LEARNED THROUGH YOUR PROJECT

There were two lessons I learned through my project lesson. Lesson one was that working with a team makes a project significantly easier. The team I worked with helped with tasks such as packing boxes, planning the event and helping the event run smoothly. Without a team the event would have be much more complicated to put together so I am thankful for them. Lesson two is that putting together an event like this is much easier than you think. I gave myself enough time to plan the event, I met with the right people to make the event possible and I worked in teams. All these actions are simple yet powerful and they allowed for my event to happen.  

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Ubelejit talks about his project during Passion to Purpose Forum Acadia last July 2019

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Dhanishta Ambwani: Youth for Youth Art Exhibit

Eunice Oquialda May 25, 2020

Dhanishta Ambwani from New Brunswick organizes community oriented art event

TELL US ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES AND IMPACT OF YOUR PROJECT

My project was a community oriented art event called Youth for Youth Art. The goals were to give local youth artists a platform to showcase their talent and celebrate them, and to give local underprivileged children the opportunity to pursue lessons in the Arts. It is too often that youth artists become discouraged because they are not able to display their work to the greater public, since established organizations do not take us seriously. Youth for Youth Art hopes to change this reality, and help push the public and organization to recognize the great talent that youth have.  
 
Youth artists (musicians, visual artists, poets…etc) aged 14-20 were recruited through posters, school presentations, Social Media and word of mouth. Their work was on display/auction at the event. We partnered with the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton, and they provided us with the space and equipment necessary (tables, easels, chairs etc). This partnership was essential because the Beaverbrook Art Gallery is a reputable name in New Brunswick, and for people to see the work of young artists displayed there is really encouraging. We had over 55 pieces on display varying from acrylic paintings, oil paintings, charcoal sketches, poetry, wood turned bowls, digital art, and watercolor. We also had a young violinist play live. The event was held on a Saturday from 1pm-5pm. The artists were all there and were able to interact with the public about their art.  
 
Overall, it was a successful event. It was incredible to see all the artists so encouraged. What was also great was the amount of people that came out to support the event, and there was a lot of surprise at how talented the youth artists were; I think that is a big step towards people realizing to not undermine the talent of young people. 

TELL US HOW YOU RECRUITED AND INVOLVED YOUR PEERS IN THE PROJECT

I involved my peers in two different ways in my project. First of all, we had 15 young artists participate in the event, they were from the ages of 14-20. Also I had another 7-10 of my peers volunteer with the planning and setting up the event. I recruited artists through school presentations, posters, social media posts, and word of mouth. I recruited volunteers through word of mouth. The artists were the reason for the event. We displayed and showcased over 55 pieces all created by youth artists. The artists were also at the event the whole day interacting and tell the public about their work. The volunteers were also essential. They helped create the countless documents required for the event and were instrumental in preparing the supplies and setting up the event. 

WHO DID YOUR PROJECT ENGAGE AND WHAT IMPACTS DID YOU AND YOUR TEAM ACHIEVE?

The project engaged 15 young artists, and our target audience was the general public and art lovers. As mentioned above, our main goal was to showcase and celebrate youth artists and help push the public and organization to recognize the great talent that the youth have.  
 
The event was a success with over 200 attendees throughout the day, including the Mayor, board members of art organizations, and other special guests. Many of the guests interacted with the artists, about their art. Many artists were able to make connections with influential people in the local art scene to be potentially displayed in other galleries and art collectives around the city. 
 
Fifteen young artists were able to have their work shown the greater public in a reputable institution that is the Beaverbrook Art Gallery. We had over 55 pieces of work of all mediums. Many artists expressed how encouraging and important it was for them to be showcased and have them and their work is taken seriously. These are some quotes from the artists themselves (we had these quotes printed and scattered around the tables at the event): 
 
Getting the opportunity to see their work displayed in a gallery beside the works of famous artists is really exciting and inspiring, and it shows that having artwork in a gallery is not an unattainable thing. -Cassidy Letourneau 
 
Showcasing young artists is important because it is impossible for any artist (or scientist, philosopher, political thinker, etc.) to create work in a vacuum. So often, galleries do not want to take a chance on an ‘unknown’ and this can make it very difficult for burgeoning artists to cultivate a network upon which they can rely to explore their interests. – Connor Walker 
 
By giving the chance to young artists to promote their work, you are allowing them to put themselves out there, even though it might be scary, and to gain confidence in their ability. – Olivia Thomson 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS ACHIEVED THROUGH YOUR PROJECT

I think one of our biggest successes was the recognition that youth artists gained through the event. Countless people from the community expressed how impressed and surprised they were at the level of talent and proceeded to buy artists’ work and support them. The Beaverbrook Art Gallery also realized how much of a success it was and how important it was to encourage youth artists and want to work with my team and I to make Youth for Youth Art a collective or reoccurring program for youth artists. We also had board members from the Fredericton Art Alliance and local artist collective, Capital Artists, express their interest in displaying the works of more youth artists, or catering more programs towards showcasing them. I thought this was a huge success because at the beginning of the event many of the artists were expressing how it was hard for them to get opportunities as youth, and after the event these opportunities came there way. It is another step forward in gaining recognition as youth artists. 

TELL US ABOUT THE LESSONS LEARNED THROUGH YOUR PROJECT

I learned a lot through the whole process the project. One was that no matter how much extensive planning you do, you always have to be ready for things to not go the way you planned or issues that you had not thought of to pop up. When I was planning for the event and supplies, I had to buy, I really thought I had covered everything; but once I had seen the venue, I realized that I needed many more things. For this reason, my team and I were running to different stores up until 2 hours before the event to get supplies. Another lesson I learned was how important it is to have a team around you that you trust and that will help you. When I first started the project, I did not think I would need that many volunteers and that I would be able to do it mostly myself, but I quickly realized that I would need the help of others to work efficiently and in a timely manner. I also learned about the importance of risk management and anticipation. There were many risks involved, such as not having enough attendees, artists not dropping off work in time, and not having enough space for the artwork. I anticipated all these risks, and realized the importance of having plans in order to mitigate them.  
 
If I was to start my project today, I would be firmer with any stakeholders regarding deadlines, and also get more contact information for everyone. I found myself getting frustrated because I contacted everyone through email, and people were taking sometimes weeks to answer me. This became difficult when the deadlines I had given the artists were not met because they did not see or respond to the email in time. A lot of my time was spent reminding people of the deadlines or chasing after a response. When it got closer to the date of the event, I gave the artists my cell phone and they were able to text me, This was way easier and less stressful for me because whenever I needed information from the artists I texted them and usually go a response within a day. I would have saved lot of time if I had also been contacting everyone by phone from the beginning.  

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