As announced by Village Media (Orillia Matters), the coordinator and sponsor for this first-time series of awards recognizing individuals and organizations who have made noteworthy contributions to their community. Congratulations to all of the recipients and here at Sustainable Orillia, we are particularly proud that in the Youth Category, our very own Sustainable Orillia Youth Council (SOYC) was selected for this recognition. Click here to view Orillia Matter’s video and article confirming this award for the SOYC.
Led by two remarkable young people, Blythe Weiclawek (President) and Weiqi Xu (Vice-President), along with a dedicated group of nine high school students, representing all three local high schools – the Council is winding down after a busy year. Chief among their recent accomplishments was organizing and hosting the Simcoe County Youth Summit last May.
Readers may recall that close to two hundred high school students from the Simcoe County District Schoolboard participated in a day-long seminar on critical sustainable issues …featuring expert speakers and subjects designed to encourage and equip young people to get engaged on sustainable issues.
Here’s Blythe, Weiqi and fellow Council Member, Ian Ward – accepting the award.
The SOYC is a self-managed council of Grade 10, 11 and 12 students. They are an integral element of Sustainable Orillia’s programs and portfolio – providing input and initiatives aimed at informing and engaging younger people into sustainable actions. They are dynamic and truly represent the heart of why we, at Sustainable Orillia are passionate about what we do – as it is truly their future that we are championing.
Congratulations Blythe, Weiqi and team … we are honoured to have you as part of the Sustainable Orillia family and proud of your many, many accomplishments on behalf of building a more sustainable future for us all, but particularly for yourselves and fellow youth.
For the latest reporting on this Award, plus photos of all of this year’s recipients – follow this link.
