Following a trip to India in 2017, Arissa was shocked to learn about the lack of access to education amongst youth and decided to use this experience to make an impact at home and abroad. It is for this reason that she created Project Power Global (or PPG), a global organization dedicated to bringing light to lack of access to education by connecting students from different parts of the world to learn from each other, to foster a friendship and support one another.

Y not learn more and support Arissa’s initiative:

https://www.projectpowerglobal.org/

Sisters, Olivia and Eloise make up the Davisville Chalkgrams initiative in hopes of spreading joy and positivity throughout their community by writing inspirational and celebratory chalk messages in front of people’s homes (from birthday messages, wedding proposal, “dog of the months”, retirement celebrations and more). To continue to spread light and love with their initiative, the girls also decided to donate 20% of profits to Sick Kids Hospital that work to save lives, find new cures and to provide world-class care for sick children.

Y not learn more and support Olivia and Eloise’s initiative:

With mental health being a predominant issue that is impacting young people from across the globe, 16-year-old Eva started The Letter Help Project in hopes of developing a platform that prompts youth into situations that encourage dialogue and critical thinking about their own mental health well-being. The goal of her initiative is to instil a sense of connectedness in youth through peer-to-peer support.

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We all know that water is an essential part of life. It supports vital functions our body, plants rely on it to survive, it is constantly being recycled in a closed loop, the water cycle system, therefore being a finite source. It really is an extremely important substance and it is for this reason that 17-year-old youth activist, Apoorv, started the Jal Organization, his mission is "to stand for water, with water”.

Y not learn more and support Apoorv’s initiative:

https://www.instagram.com/jal_organization/

As per their mission statement, the heart of the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) is rooted in justice and liberation. These factors motivate members of this remarkable organization to take an active role in the national struggle for the liberation of Palestine and its people. Maysam and Elias, representatives of the Toronto chapter of PYM join us this week to discuss the ways in which this remarkable grassroots organization is working hard to mobilize Palestinian youth through youth workshops aimed at developing leadership skills and critical analysis, commemorating the Palestinian culture and heritage, developing third world solidarity allies and much more.

In light of the devastating news of what is currently happening Sheikh Jarrah -that has been continuously happening across the country- we thought this educational episode would be incredibly important for our listeners to open their hearts and minds to the people of Palestine.

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With all the change and uncertainty in the world today, our remarkable guest Sarah continues to spread positivity and joy in the world around her. Her passion and determination to create positive change in the world is ultimately what led her to start the Positive Change Project in 2020. Her website provides ideas on how to spread kindness within ones' own community and also invites folks to send inspirational quotes to her "Bookmark Project" that mails inspirational bookmarks to various charities and organizations to spread love and hope those that need it most.

16-year-old Luke Mullens was born with an entrepreneurial spirit. His journey is one that involves experiencing failures, discovering strategies, developing resources and connecting with influential people that have helped him become the young entrepreneur he is today. He refers to this journey as his "level up" and wants other young entrepreneurs to experience a "level up", the way he continues to do. It is for this reason that Luke partnered with like-minded individuals to create Rich Kids Global. A platform that helps young people achieve their goals through world class programming all focused on ways to develop an entrepreneurial spirit: from informative book clubs, meetings with young CEO's, educational workshops and so much more.

Born in a beautiful city called Fujian Yong Chun in China, Dean (“D.N”) is currently a high school student passionate about promoting equality and inclusivity in his community. His journey first began when he was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder  (ASD) at a young age and began to experience a great deal of segregation and loneliness, due to feeling “different” from his friends and family. It is for this reason that D.N is an autism awareness advocate who is working hard to educate the public about ASD. He has an informative website focused on what ASD is, the science behind the disorder and ways we are able to help those diagnosed with ASD. He also shared his remarkable journey on the TEDX stage and was interviewed by the Global Autism Summit.

Y not learn more and support Dean's initiative:

Benjamin Wong (or “Ben”) has always had an inkling for entrepreneurship. From selling avocados on the street to starting his own company at age 13, there’s never been a time where he hasn’t been following his wildest dreams! Ben has always had an interest in topics like financial markets or business, and would always be asked by his peers for investment advice or tips for starting their own company. He transferred all his expertise into Kid CEO, his new pet project, in October 2019. He soon realized that that wasn't his entrepreneurial talent and that where he was at his best was shining a light on others. Starting with Kid Everest, the world's first crowd-funding site for kid entrepreneurs, on September 6th, the new Kid CEO podcast was born. Since then, he's interviewed stars such as Jahkil Jackson, the Obama-endorsed founder of Project I Am, which has gained international recognition for his blessing bags to those experiencing homeless. Now, Ben is continuing his mission of showing everyone in this world the extraordinary things kids can do. Ben is also the host of Fireflies Debate and YoungTrep with Benjamin Wong.

Chris “CJ” Matthews’ inspiring story began when his mom experienced a pregnancy loss when he was five years old. His own grief sparked an idea to create a project to support other kids who might be dealing with similar feelings of sadness. CJ told his mom that he never wanted another kid to feel sad and lonely like he did, and “Blankies 4 My Buddies” was born. Since then, this small project has grown into an organization that brings small tokens of comfort, like cozy blankets, to children dealing with traumatic situations from chronic illnesses to homelessness. CJ is always seeking to come up with creative ideas for helping others and making an impact in the world. He has never found "being a kid" to be a problem. In fact, he believes it to be empowering and just another way to have fun, be happy inside-out, and inspire other teens and kids to use their voices.