Through its Top 20 Under 20 program, Plan Canada aims to celebrate youth as the drivers of change and to empower the next generation of leaders. They are creating a positive impact on the world as global citizens. The Plan’s has a vision of a world in which all children realize their full potential in societies that respect people's rights and dignity.
Aanikh Kler, 16
British Columbia
Last year, Aanikh was the youngest social entrepreneur to receive capital backing from CBC’s Dragon’s Den. He started his business and social venture called UndrTheRadr (UTR) two years earlier. He also is one of the youngest app developers to have a top three app.
Aditya Mohan, 17
Ontario
Aditya developed a novel idea to treat HIV, which won him the prestigious 2014 Manning National Innovation Award and the silver medal at the Canada-Wide Science Fair. His idea is being further explored in preclinical trials around the world.
Alaina Podmorow, 17
British Columbia
Alaina wanted to provide help women overseas. When she was nine, she founded Little Women for Little Women in Afghanistan. It raised over $500,000 for girls’ education. In 2012, Alaina was named Canada's Honorary Youth Ambassador for the world's inaugural International Day of the Girl.
Anjali Katta, 17
British Columbia
Anjali founded two programs to empower girls. They are GirlsCo., a not-for-profit women’s rights organization and Bombay Pads, a program to deliver sanitary pads and provide sexual education to schools and orphanages in India. Anjali advises the work of the Government of Canada through the newly created Girls Advisory Council.
Calvin Rieder, 18
Ontario
Not many people can say they have an asteroid after them. Calvin received that honour when he won second place Grand Award at the International Science and Engineering Fair. In 2010, he also wanted to solve the global water crisis, so he created the first system that extracts water from the atmosphere in meaningful volumes for human consumption without using external energy.
Chuyang Aaron Lin, 17
Alberta
Aaron is building an atypical library – made up of fungal and bacterial species native to the human microbiome. He hopes researchers will be able to discover new antibiotics and anti-cancer compouds. Aaron founded a cancer-prevention committee under the auspices of the Canadian Cancer Society. He is also a youth science ambassador for the Foundation for Student Science and Technology.
Clement Cheng, 17
Ontario
To foster understanding, sow empathy, and empower social change, Clement co-founded ActOut, a social justice group that brings global issues to the classroom through experiential learning simulations. ActOut’s work has been shared with teaching journals, education conferences, universities and entrepreneurs who have all expressed great interest in this model of student-driven teaching and immersive learning.
Hayley Todesco, 18
Alberta
In the last nine years, Hayley has earned nearly $45,000 in scholarships and awards from entering eighteen science fairs, including attending the Canada Wide Science Fair. Each project addressed and raised awareness for environmental issues ranging from solar technology to water pollution. In 2014, Hayley won the Stockholm Junior Water Prize and the Google Science Fair for her project on decontaminating tailings ponds.
Lauren Reid , 18
Ontario
Lauren’s new blade design for wind turbines could increase their ability to generate clean electricity over 95 per cent of the time – up from 20 per cent. That would reduce emissions by millions of pounds per day. In 2014, Lauren started her school’s first science fair, which offered workshops and awards.
Mahan Nekoui, 19
Ontario
Mahan calculated the Ebola epidemic’s doubling time, which the media widely cited. He also produced a visualization of the outbreak’s path in Sierra Leone in a paper he co-authored. Mostly recently, he developed “Scraping for Science”, a program that automatically publishes unbiased outbreak reports for the public.
Maike van Niekerk, 19
Newfoundland
Maike cycled across Newfoundland to help cancer patients get to the only radiation treatment centre in the province. She raised $35,000. After volunteering as a nurse in Nuwakot, Nepal, Maike started an organization that provides school supplies to primary schools in Nuwakot. She is one of five international youth ambassadors for an experiential learning and teaching opportunity in Greece with impossible2Possible.
Maxwell Tran , 19
Ontario
Maxwell founded Ink Movement in 2012, which is a national non-profit organization organizes book-publishing projects featuring young writers, photographers, and visual artists. Maxwell and his team have published two print volumes of the Mississauga Youth Anthology, showcasing over 80 artists. To date, Ink Movement has helped more than 600 youth and raised over $20,000.
Michael Liu, 17
Ontario
Michael’s scientific research has established a new cost-effective HIV detection process that has potential to improve accessibility. He also strives to combat mental illness stigma and discourage harmful peer competition. He constructed a neuroscience curriculum for his school’s Brain Bee chapter, and has competed with the Canadian chapter.
Mikaela Preston, 18
Ontario
Mikaela’s research on biofuels suggests agricultural waste could be converted to hydrogen fuel. She has earned platinum and gold awards at four Canada-Wide Science Fairs. Her work has been published in the Canadian Young Scientist Journal. She also created the Middle School Debate Team to allow older students to mentor Grade 7 and 8 students.
Mohammed Nayem Alam, 18
Quebec
After being bullied for his weight, Nayem saw an opportunity for him and others to speak up on this issue. In 2014, Nayem created the first-ever spoken word/slam poetry competition in his school board, entitled, “Speak Up Montreal!” For his efforts in leading this movement, Nayem received the Governor General Award for Leadership. Nayem has also developed a web tutorial blog to teach different aspects of technology.
Neal Zuberi Attard, 19
Quebec
After a difficult childhood, Zuberi founded the “Student Activist Association.” This association encourages new immigrant students to volunteer opportunities that help them integrate, build experience, and receive references needed to get jobs. In high school, Zuberi led a “Boys to Men,” which helped young men talk about cultural and social pressures. He was also a peer educator for St. Stephen’s Community House.
Nivatha Balendra, 19
Quebec
Nivatha discovered and a new species of bacteria’s effectiveness in the bioremediation of oil particles, which could be used in cleaning up oil spills. For this research, she received the World Economic Forum Prize at the Intel International Science & Technology Fair to participate in the Forum in China. She is one of the youngest participants in the world to have attended this conference.
Swarochish Goswami, 17
Alberta
Ranked second-best debater in the Americas, Swarochish will represent Canada at the 2015 Oxford Schools Debating Championships. As a member of Team Canada, he won the European Schools Debating Championships in 2013. Swarochish also founded Canada Thinks. It is a registered non-profit organization that hosts conferences across Canada.
Vincent Lachance, 18
Quebec
In 2013, Vincent helped small businesses transition into e-commerce. He founded Montréal Frais, an online delivery service for access to the best local businesses in town. Vincent has recently founded Startup Basecamp Montreal, which provides startups in Montreal with a flexible solution to work, live and get inspired.
Xi Yuan Cecilia Pang, 16
British Columbia
Cecilia has created a website to help fellow high schools find academic resources. She is an accomplished pianist and painter. At 15, she was published in an anthology of creative writing. Cecilia also serves as a director for Youth for Surrey Memorial Hospital. Cecilia has fundraised for sanitation for children in the Philippines and education in Nicaragua.
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