The My Canada Project is a Forum for Young Canadians initiative that gives 14-18 year olds from coast to coast to coast an opportunity to reflect on the experiences that have shaped what Canada means to them.
As a young leader, share your views about Canada alongside your neighbours and strangers from every corner of the country. Open your mind and heart to a bigger and brighter Canada by bringing your vision and perspective to life through a multimedia submission that highlights, promotes, and reflects Canada through your eyes and experiences.
Being part of this program can help with future opportunities like:
- Submitting a volunteer application, especially for anything related to social causes, youth leadership, civics or politics
- Building out a resume or LinkedIn profile to showcase your interests and values
- Applications for college, universities or even scholarships and bursaries to show a long term interest in things like social causes and civic engagement
What does Canada mean to you?
What does Canada inspire in you? What makes you proud to live in Canada? Or what can we be doing differently with the goal of doing better? What hope and vision do you hold for our country, and what role are you playing in shaping Canada’s future?
We want to hear from YOU!
Share what is on your mind and in your heart as you prepare to expand the horizons of your future and make decisions that will impact you, your communities, and your country.
Let your creativity lead you and tell us about your Canada!
To get you started, here are some questions you can work through at camp, on road trips, at the park, or anywhere along the way that makes you stop and think about what Canada means — or could mean — to you:
- What three words come to mind when you think about Canada?
- When you think about your hometown, your neighbourhood, or Canada, what are some visuals or adjectives that come to mind?
- Is there something about this country you would change?
- Is there something you wish more people knew about or understood better from your viewpoint?
- If you could have 3 wishes for our country’s future, what would they be?
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About
The My Canada Project (MCP) began in 2020 as a personal initiative by Lorna Hundt, CEO of Great Canadian Holidays. Starting off as an essay-writing competition for Grade 8 students in the Kitchener-Waterloo region, the MCP provided an opportunity for hundreds of students to reflect on Canada as a nation and what it means to them.
Powered by the Rideau Hall Foundation
In 2023, the MCP transitioned to its new home at the Rideau Hall Foundation, a national charitable organization established to serve Canadians through a range of initiatives linked to learning, leadership, giving and innovation while shining a light on Canadian excellence. The MCP is a Forum for Young Canadians (Forum) initiative — one of the RHF’s signature programs — aimed at educating, equipping, and inspiring Canadian youth for lifelong and meaningful civic engagement. In its over 45-year legacy, Forum has inspired thousands of young Canadians to engage actively in their communities and beyond – and in that same spirit, the MCP is expanding its reach to a national scale. The MCP will allow Forum to further encourage generations of youth towards increased civic engagement by inviting perspectives from youth from across Canada, with an emphasis on diversity of thought. Youth will have an opportunity to share their submission in any multimedia format, in any language of choice, and in any way that best conveys their expression of Canada.
FAQ
Any Canadian student between the ages of 14-18 is welcome to submit an entry.
No, you can enter your submission in any multimedia format you wish that can be uploaded through the My Canada Project portal. That means you can write a poem or an essay, record a speech or a song, produce a video, or even enter a visual piece like photography or some representation of your artwork or masterpiece. Let your creativity soar!
No, the submission does not have to be in English. Canada is a nation filled with a diverse population with a multitude of languages. For MCP submissions to reflect our nation in its entirety and its diversity, we encourage you to enter your submission in any language of your choice!
No, unfortunately MCP submissions are limited to one entry per person.
MCP will be open for submissions on August 14th, 2023, and will run until October 27th, 2023. Click here to be notified when the MCP is open and ready for your submission!
Possibly! We want to showcase Canada’s brilliant and thoughtful youth, and the MCP creators will receive notice prior to any submission being shared online or in any public forum.
Inspiration is all around you! Think about your personal experiences. What do you love about Canada, or what does Canada need to be better at? Speak to your friends, family, and role models. Think about what is going on around you, what moves you, what drives you? And keep an eye on our social media channels for weekly prompts to give you some more ideas!
Contact
My Canada Project is powered by the Rideau Hall Foundation as a Forum for Young Canadians initiative.
You can reach us at [email protected].
