Nov 1, 2021

YOUNG LEADERS FALL SUMMIT WRAP UP

What an exciting weekend October 22-24th proved to be for our Young Leaders as we all came together for our second virtual summit of 2021! Forty-six youth from across the county joined in for interactive workshops, discussions, and networking opportunities. This year’s summit program focussed on diverse career paths, independence, and creating new relationships, all within a safe, inclusive, and accessible space for learning, sharing, and fostering community.

Program highlights included a live concert from The Blind & the Beautiful, a blues duo comprised of guitarist/singer/songwriter Lucas Haneman and vocalist extraordinaire Megan Laurence, an emotional keynote address by psychologist and athlete Lowell Taylor, and Careers in the Arts Panel featuring a line-up of talented actors, musicians, and a tv/film producer.

We also brought back the FBC Young Leaders Career Advancement Grant this year! Again, we received beautiful submissions from our youth participants about using the grant to help pursue their career dreams. The top video selections were voted on at the summit. The winner, Emilee Schevers, 19, from Omemee, Ontario, spoke about how she is currently in school for early childhood education but would like to specialize further in working with children with disabilities and focus on mental health. Check out Emilee’s submission video here.

The runners up this year were V. Copping, 18, from Kelowna, BC; Joseph Fornasier, 18, from Burlington, Ontario; and Alicia Chenier, 22, from Sudbury, Ontario. We are very proud of all our young leaders and the significant contributions they are making to break down barriers, challenge stigma and give back to their communities. Congratulations to all our winners, and thanks to everyone who participated this year!

The Young Leaders program will be back virtually and in-person in 2022 with online hangouts, a live summit in the fall, and the continuation of our mentorship program. For more information, stay tuned to our Young Leaders page or email education@fightingblindness.ca.

RBC Future Launch proudly supports the FBC Young Leaders Program.

You can watch recordings of key sessions from the 2021 Summit below.

• Careers in the Arts Panel
• Keynote address with Lowell Taylor
• Confidence in the Kitchen with Shari Shaw