2025 Recap: Empowering Infinite Potential Nationwide

Empowering Infinite Potential: Reimagining Education Across Canada

When we look back on 2025, one word comes to mind: momentum. What started as a bold idea, a vision to connect education with real-life experiences, has grown into a national movement. From coast to coast, young people are stepping into challenges that build confidence, resilience, and leadership.

And none of this would have been possible without you: the educators and community leaders who deliver the Award, and the corporate champions and philanthropic supporters who stand behind them.

From Pilots to a National Pathway: How a Question Sparked a Movement

Two years ago, we asked ourselves a question that changed everything: What if every young person, regardless of where they live or learn, had access to experiential learning that truly mattered?

Building on Strong Partnerships

At the time, the Award was thriving in independent and private schools across Canada. These schools showed us what becomes possible when the Award is aligned with curriculum in a way that honours the meaningful learning students are already doing beyond the classroom. By grounding the experience in the principles of positive youth development, the Award helps deepen that learning. Students discover resilience on an Adventurous Journey, leadership through volunteering, and confidence through skill development.

National organizations like Scouts Canada and Girl Guides of Canada, have long been champions of experiential learning. Their commitment to youth development inspired us and strengthened our resolve to create a model that works for every learner.

But what about the millions of young people in public education? Could we bring this same transformative experience to them?

We knew we could not do it alone. These partnerships reminded us that when communities come together, change is possible. With their support, we began to imagine a new pathway that would strengthen the experiential learning already happening in classrooms by giving students a framework to set goals, reflect on their progress, and see their growth through the Award.

The First Step: Pilots in Public Education

We started small. Two pilot Education Operating Partners (EOPs) joined us to test the idea. It was not easy. Public education systems are complex, and change takes time. But the pilots proved that the Award could thrive in classrooms and that students were eager for hands-on learning that connects to real life.

2025: A Year of Transformation

Fast forward to today. What began as two pilots has grown into seven EOPs across British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Newfoundland and Labrador. We have launched our first two post-secondary EOPs, proving that the Award is not just for high school – it is a lifelong journey.

Here is what that looks like in numbers:

1 Department of Education
7 school boards
65 public schools
3
91 independent/private schools
2 National Operating Partners

Total: 385 Award Centres nationwide.

What Does This Mean for Students?

It means real-world learning is no longer an add-on. It is part of the curriculum. Students are earning their Award through Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) programs, Indigenous inclusion initiatives, STEM pathways, trades programs, and post-secondary experiences.

Picture this:

In Newfoundland, students in an alternative classroom complete their first Adventurous Journey, discovering confidence they never knew they had.
In Ontario, a construction class celebrates as 95% of students earn their Bronze Award, proof that when learning meets experience, magic happens.

2025 Impact Snapshot

5,889 young people registered
2,276 Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards earned
131 new adults trained to deliver the Award

Focus on youth outcomes.
The Award brings structure and intention to the experiences that shape young people. By helping them set goals, reflect on their progress, and work alongside trusted adults, the Award strengthens the experiential learning already happening in schools and communities. This is how students build the resilience, confidence, and competencies they need for life.

Conversations That Shape the Future

In June and July, we hosted education events in Charlottetown, PEI and Toronto, ON, bringing together educators, policymakers, and partners to consider new ways of supporting meaningful experiential learning. These weren’t just meetings. They were opportunities to learn from one another and to take real steps toward improving outcomes for young people.

Stories That Inspire

From rural Saskatchewan to urban Brampton, from Indigenous communities to aviation pathways for young women, the Award is strengthening meaningful learning opportunities across the country. This fall, five new pilots launched, each one showing what is possible when we work together:

Peel District School Board
Halton Catholic District School Board
South East Cornerstone Public School Division
Surrey School
Women in Skill Trades through the colleges

A Community That Made Momentum Possible

Every milestone we reached this year, every young person who discovered confidence, and every educator who felt supported was possible because of a community that believed in what young people can achieve.

Across Canada, donors, partners, and champions stepped forward with generosity that did more than fund programs. Their support fueled a movement and showed young people that their growth and future truly matter.

This year, we were honoured to receive support from partners such as The McCall MacBain Foundation, The Gooder Foundation, Power Corporation of Canada, Andrew Sheret Limited, The Molson Foundation, The Keg Spirit Foundation, Canada Life, The Canerector Foundation, The Richardson Family Foundation, The Williams Wilson Sherport Foundation, The Birchall Foundation, The Bealight Foundation, The RBC Foundation, BMO, Scotiabank, and Cenovus Energy, along with many other private family and community foundations, individuals, and corporate partners.

Their investment removed financial barriers, strengthened educator resources, expanded the Co-curricular Approach in public schools, and ensured that young people from every background could take part in the Award. Together, they helped build a national pathway where learning is lived and resilience grows through experience.

Innovation That Opens Doors

This year, we introduced Registered Activity Providers (RAPs), to broaden access to Award aligned opportunities. RAPs are organizations that meet our standards for safety and youth development, offering experiences that support young people’s goals and interests. As this network grows, participants will have expanded access to trusted opportunities.

Looking Ahead: 2026 and Beyond

As we step into 2026, we do so with gratitude and determination. The momentum we built together in 2025 has set the stage for even greater impact.

Conversations with school boards across Canada point to expanded reach and deeper integration of experiential learning. New resources for educators will strengthen delivery and make the Award even more accessible in classrooms. Our partnerships with national organizations and post-secondary institutions will continue to grow, creating pathways that prepare young people for life beyond school.

With your continued support, we will keep building an inclusive, future-ready generation of young people who are confident, resilient, and equipped to lead with purpose.

Join us in shaping the future. Whether you are an educator, a partner, or a supporter, your involvement can help us reach more schools, train more mentors, and open doors for thousands of young people across Canada. Together, we can make 2026 a year of innovation, collaboration, and stories that inspire.

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