– Sponsored by RBC, The Prince’s Youth Service Awards recognizes outstanding youth who are making an impact in their communities –
– Young Canadians can apply for the Awards by visiting we.org/princesyouthserviceawards –
TORONTO, Sept. 21, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today WE and Prince's Charities Canada are proud to announce that award applications for The Prince’s Youth Service Awards are officially open. Now in its third year, the national awards program honours exceptional young Canadians who are taking positive actions at home and in the global community. Together, Prince’s Charities Canada and WE celebrate the next generation of extraordinary young leaders who are making true change one impact at a time, inspiring youth from coast to coast to work together and build a brighter future.
Made possible through the support of RBC, the awards are presented to youth who have distinguished themselves through outstanding community service and social action. Winners will receive their awards in front of 20,000 of their peers on the WE Day Toronto 2018 stage where they will be honoured for their extraordinary accomplishments. The awards are divided into four categories celebrating the unique achievements of each winner, including: Local Community Development, Global Action, Social Entrepreneurship, and Sustainability.
“As a member of the Awards’ selection committee, it’s inspiring to see all the incredible work being done by young people across this country. Their ability to identify a social or environmental problem and then take concerted action to try to solve that problem is truly commendable,” said Amanda Sherrington, President and CEO of Prince’s Charities Canada. “As a social entrepreneur, The Prince of Wales has long been committed to improving lives and building more sustainable communities in Canada and around the world. The Awards help foster a younger generation of community leaders and by celebrating young people’s hard work and initiative, they encourage others.”
The Prince’s Youth Service Awards encourages educators, family and friends to show their support by encouraging young people who are dedicated to making positive change in the world to submit an application. For more information on how to apply please visit: we.org/princesyouthserviceawards.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Prince’s Charities Canada and RBC to bring the Prince’s Youth Service Awards to young Canadians for a third year on behalf of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales,” said Craig Kielburger, co-founder of WE. “This award program recognizes some of the brightest young Canadians who are stepping up as leaders in their communities and are proof that anyone, no matter their age, can be a force for change. We’re honoured to join together to celebrate all the inspiring actions that young people in this country have taken to make a difference both locally and globally.”
In spring 2018, award winners for each category will be selected by a panel of judges made up of notable Canadians including Spencer West, WE ambassador, motivational speaker and author; Amanda Sherrington, President and CEO of Prince’s Charities Canada; Matthew Rowe, Vice President of Prince’s Charities Canada; Tamara Gordon, Advisory Council, Prince’s Charities Canada, Barry Avrich, Partner, BT/A Advertising; Matthew Corrin, Founder and CEO of Freshii; Joe Mimran, Founder, Joe Fresh and Dragon, Dragons’ Den; Mike “Pinball” Clemons, CFL Hall of Famer, Vice Chair of the Toronto Argonauts; David Martin, President Horizon Capital Holdings Inc.; and Maureen Dockendorf, BC Ministry of Education Superintendent of Early Years.
Along with a wood turned statue, the winner in each category will receive an invitation to participate in a transformative leadership development program and also receive a bursary to help bring their ideas to life.
Award categories include:
- WE are community leaders Award – Change can start at home. The recipient of this award is taking positive action in their community.
- WE are global leaders Award –Changing the world is possible. The recipient of this award is taking action on important global issues.
- WE are social innovators Award –Changing the world starts when you think outside the box. The recipient of this award uses innovative solutions to tackle social problems.
- WE are agents of sustainability Award—Taking charge of our planet’s future is possible. The recipient of this award is dedicated to environmental stewardship and creative solutions to issues facing our environment.
To learn about last year’s winners, who will be receiving their awards on stage in front of 20,000 of their peers at WE Day Toronto 2018, and learn more about the awards, visit we.org/princesyouthserviceawards.
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For more information please contact:
Katie Watkins
Associate Director, Public Relations
katie.watkins@we.org
647-893-4890
Matthew J. Rowe
Vice President
Matthew.Rowe@princescharities.ca
416-576-3969
About The Prince of Wales support for young people and service
The Prince of Wales has long believed in the potential of young people and in the benefits of service. In 1976, His Royal Highness founded The Prince's Trust in the United Kingdom, which last year celebrated 40 years of supporting 13 to 30 year-olds who are unemployed, struggling at school or at risk of exclusion. The Trust’s programmes give vulnerable young people the practical and financial support needed to stabilise their lives, helping them develop self-esteem and skills for work. Three in four young people supported by the Trust move into work, education or training, and last year HRH's desire to help went global, with the launch of Prince's Trust International.
About WE
WE Charity is part of WE - a family of organizations making doing good, doable. WE is made up of WE Charity, empowering domestic and international change, ME to WE, a social enterprise that creates socially conscious products and experiences to help support the charity, and WE Day, filling stadiums around the world with the greatest celebration of social good. WE enables youth and families to better the world – supporting 2,500+ local and global causes by volunteering millions of hours of service, shopping daily with an impact, and raising millions of dollars that directly benefit their local communities and the world. Globally, our teams in Asia, Africa, and Latin America have provided more than 1 million people with clean water, built 1,000 schools and schoolrooms overseas, and empowered more than 200,000 children with access to education. WE was founded more than 20 years ago by social entrepreneurs, brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger. Join the movement today at WE.org.
About Prince’s Charities Canada
Prince's Charities Canada was established in 2011 to expand and enhance The Prince's Canadian charitable work. Prince's Charities Canada currently has 12 initiatives including those focussed on young people and education; help for veterans who want to start their own businesses; engaging corporate leaders on youth unemployment; revitalizing traditional Aboriginal languages; and the promotion of wool as a sustainable fibre. Working from coast to coast to coast, their initiatives touch on one or more of His Royal Highness's charitable priorities including: the built environment, education and young people, global sustainability, and responsible business.
www.princescharities.ca
About RBC
As Canada’s largest bank, and one of the largest banks in the world, based on market capitalization, Royal Bank of Canada is committed to providing the foundation, resources and guidance to help kids believe in themselves, become leaders and be inspired to take action to make the world a better place. Since 2012, RBC has been a National Co-Title Sponsor of WE Day and a National Premier Partner of WE Schools, reinforcing their position as a leading corporate citizen committed to empowering and enabling youth to become local and global agents of change. Through RBC’s focused support of programs like We Create Change, We Act Financial Literacy curriculum resources and their own employee engagement efforts with WE Day events from coast to coast, RBC brings their commitment to life and helps kids from across Canada create the change they want to see in the world. Find out more about RBC and WE Charity’s partnership here.