Alison Hall, 17
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Already active as a speaker against bullying, when cancer hit home with her mom’s diagnosis in 2006, Alison heard another call to action.  What started out as a simple idea is now an annual province-wide event called “The Challenge for Life,” a fundraising event for CancerCare Manitoba. She hoped to engage people with the promise of changing their lives - to help reduce cancer risk by encouraging individuals to identify and set their own health and fitness goals. As Founder and Honorary Co-Chairperson with her 3 siblings, Alison learned how to be a media spokesperson and how to engage civic and business leaders. She successfully launched a 20km walk whose main thrust was to gain six month “health commitments” from all participants. Spin-off events co-hosted by CancerCare drew local fitness specialists, life coaches, dieticians and other healthcare professionals from across Winnipeg. Spontaneously, a community of Challengers developed to support each other through the fitness events and to form an even deeper commitment to the Challenge.

Truly a grassroots effort, all costs for the event were covered by sponsorships, and Alison’s “Challenge for Life” cleared $650,000. These funds have been designated for research and to ensure that Cancer Care Manitoba continues to make advances in leading edge facilities and technology.

Caroline Jo, 17

Montréal, Québec

After 20,000 votes from youth all over the world, Caroline represented Canadian youth in presenting the most popular proposal to the Environment Ministers at their G8+5 Meeting in Kobe, Japan on behalf of the International Climate Champions (ICC) program. Caroline’s winning Kobe Proposal stressed the importance of universal education on climate change, the implementation of an international cap-and-trade system, and the provision of technology and funding to those countries worst hit by the inevitable effects of climate change.

Upon returning from Japan, Caroline united with other Canadian ICCs to take on the task of raising awareness about climate change among Canadian youth. They founded a national youth-led project for students, “ICCommit Eco-week,” a period in which students would identify and stick to at least one eco-commitment.  To foster the exchange of ideas, www.iccommit.org was developed. Caroline spoke at all the participating schools in Montreal to promote the event, which reached over 13,000 youth across Canada.  This eye-opening experience shows the power of youth to influence their peers positively and broadly, bringing an international voice to hometowns where change can really happen.

Alyssa Larson, 17
Hanna, Alberta

Starting at age 13, Alyssa began her journey as an inventor.  Her normally gentle gelding “Rocky” kicked her while she was attempting to give him an oral deworming medication. Upon learning that resistance to conventional medicating methods and subsequent injury to horse and handler are common, Alyssa looked for a solution.  A National Gold Medal-winning science fair project was born, not to mention an inventor! 

Alyssa designed her “Equine MediWormer” to deliver oral medication easily and effectively, reducing the risk of injury, and ensuring that the entire dosage is received in one go.  This innovative device allows the average horse owner to administer medication to animals that may respond poorly to conventional methods.  After conferring with professionals - vets, lawyers, and industrial engineers – and running through many testing phases, Alyssa formed her own company.  With patents pending in Canada and the USA, she is now preparing for investors.

Alysha Li, 18

Vancouver, British Columbia

As Vice President on the Vancouver District Students’ Council, Alysha was inspired to unite the 18 Vancouver high schools in an initiative that would connect students with disabilities and their able-bodied peers, break stereotypes, and create heightened awareness. “Passport to Play” grew from the initial idea in 2007 through to the day of the event itself in May 2009.  

Modeled on the Paralympics, “Passport to Play” aspired to give students with any disability the chance to express themselves outside of the classroom through adapted recreational sport activities. Alysha believes the project will build unity within the schools and for students with its emphasis on values of friendship, fair play, optimism, inspiration, and empowerment.  Vancouver granted the initiative $10,000 and pledges its continuing sponsorship; community groups that specialize in adapted sports activities, and student groups and their schools are vying to host the event in years to come.  The vision with which Alysha and her co-coordinators ran is not only successful, it has influenced other youth to come together and break down stereotypes.