By Emma Kirke and Selah Woelk 

2022-23 marks the sixth year of the Peace Innovator program, a collaboration between the Ripple Effect Education, Kindred Credit Union and the Centre for Peace Advancement. This program brings together high school students and helps them tackle a problem they are passionate about in their home communities through skills-building and mentorship. 

With 37 alumni so far, the Peace Innovator participants have launched 31 community events or campaigns to date, working individually or in small groups with others from the program. 

Along with supporting the students’ initiatives, the program equips participants with mentorship opportunities, a peace-and-justice oriented mindset, and the confidence that they can affect change. A recent alum, Marina Wheaton described how the program “provides meaningful connections, a variety of learning opportunities, and mentorship from people who were invested in my success.” 

Particularly over the pandemic, when many extra-curricular activities were suspended or limited, the Peace Innovator program created unique opportunities for youth to engage in community service during a period of lockdown when others were unable to.  

This year’s cohort of peace innovators recently pitched their ideas to a panel of mentors and donors. These young innovators hope to address pressing issues in their communities and have bold plans for facilitating change. 

5 high school students who received the Peace Innovators scholarship working at a table together

Kitchener-Waterloo students Sara and Atiyeh plan to combat the lack of racial representation among staff in the Waterloo Region District Schoolboard (WRDSB) through a project entitled “SEEN.” This project includes workshops promoting diversity in a school setting and a website which raises awareness for the lack of diversity and provides a toolkit for other youth. 

Also exploring the lack of diversity in the WRDSB, Bella and Anne, Peace Innovators at a different school, are planning a community event to promote diversity and encourage discussion about how to celebrate difference and avoid bias in the classroom, including a keynote speaker and food from diverse backgrounds. 

Inspired by his home community of Toronto, the fifth innovator, Ross, hopes to address stigma around homelessness, addiction, and mental health through education. Ross has begun running workshops with youth in his area and plans to build a curriculum for use in classroom settings that explores reasons why people might be in situations of housing insecurity or addiction.  

One of the donors who attended the Innovators’ pitches was Kindred Credit Union, and Community Engagement Manager Jessica Sproat was impressed by the students’ passion which gave her “hope for the future.” 

Alum Marina Wheaton expressed that “even if youth have great ideas, often it is hard to actually make an impact without resources or financial assistance, so the funding provided [by the program] is a definite advantage!” With funding both towards students' projects and their future education and endeavors, this program provides a financial kickstart for young changemakers. 

One of the first participants at the program’s inception, Hayden Epp reflected that “as a high school student, it often doesn’t feel like you can make much of a difference. A program like this one is useful because it equips young people with the skills they need to do something impactful in their community.” 

If you have youth in your life with a desire to make change, consider pointing them towards this program. Applications for the 2023-24 school year are open now until April 30th.