The Civic Youth Awards Program recognizes the efforts of young people making significant contributions to their community. Each year there are several categories in which youth are nominated for the work that they do to contribute to a better, healthier, and safer society.

This year, Kasia and Noah won the Community Enhancement Award, which celebrates young volunteers making positive contributions to their communities through working with local organizations or giving at least 75 hours of time to service activities.

Kasia was recognised for her work on gender equity in education with the Community Action Team for Social Justice (CAT-SJ). As co-chair of the CAT-SJ, Kasia has contributed over 120 hours working both on projects within the school such as International Women’s Day celebrations and Orange Shirt Day, and with organizations such as the Harvest Project and One Girl Can. For her Community Engagement classes, Kasia worked with One Girl Can to adapt their Grade 8-12 curriculum to be taught to Grade 7. 

Noah was recognised for his work raising awareness about Japanese-Canadian WWII incarceration camps, as well as his work as the co-chair of the Community Action Team for Arts and Culture (CAT-AC). Through his Community Engagement project, Noah has been researching the history of violence and injustice that was perpetuated against Japanese-Canadians during World War II, and sharing his findings and knowledge on the subject with the wider school. He invited two incarceration camp survivors to speak to the Senior School earlier this year, which was a rare and touching opportunity for our students (and faculty) to hear first hand about this time in Canada’s history and its ongoing repercussions. 

Cam won the Youth Recognition Award, which celebrates young people who have made great personal strides, overcome personal or societal barriers, or demonstrated great skill in music, arts, academics, or sports.

Cam was recognised for raising awareness about mental health through an original musical composition, which debuted at the Centennial Theatre in May 2022. A gifted musician and mentor, Cam wrote ‘As Yet to be Named’ as a way to cope with mental health challenges during COVID-19, and the piece has since been shared as a way to support other students going through challenges and to advocate for mental health awareness.

Thank you to the North Vancouver District Council for hosting this event, and for continuing to inspire and empower youth across our community!