First Prize Winner​

Danielle Munang | Grade 12​
Catholic Central High School
London, Ontario
From Observers to Co-Creators: Empowering Canadian Youth in Democratic Decision-Making (PDF)

Second Prize Winner​

Rais Ebrahim, Andrew Grignano, and Saahil Khaana | Grade 10​
Crescent School
Toronto, Ontario
Reimagining Youth Participation: Policy Pathways for a Stronger Democracy (PDF)

Third Prize Winner​

Paul Soganub | Grade 11​
Yellowknife, NWT
Youth Engagement in Democracy: A Path Forward for Canadian Public Policy (PDF)

First Prize Winner​

Joshua Zhuang | Grade 12​
The Woodlands Secondary School
Mississauga, ON

Social Media and Students: A Balanced Solution for the 21st Century (PDF)

Second Prize Winner​

Suki Huang | Grade 10​
SATEC @ W.A. Porter C.I.
Scarborough, ON

Impact of Social Media on Student Education and Well-Being: Challenges and Solutions (PDF)

Third Prize Winner​

Faheem Shahzad | Grade 11​
SATEC @ W.A. Porter C.I.
Scarborough, ON

Reimagining Education and Policy for the 21st Century: Addressing the Impact of Social Media on Student Well-Being and Education (PDF)

In addition to educating young adults, schools with emphasis on learning Indigenous traditions and languages at the elementary level should be government-funded as reparation for years of cultural and language loss caused by residential schools. Funding such schools would allow Indigenous peoples to reclaim their heritage and prevent any more language and cultural loss.

— Isabella Yue

I'd like to start off by expressing my gratitude for this incredible award. I'm even more grateful for being given the opportunity to raise ableism awareness in Canada. Silencing the voices of those who need support is a habit that needs to be stopped. Not only is it revolting, but such a shame that we are wasting valuable knowledge from incredible citizens. By allowing them to obtain proper education, funds, and care, we are essentially leading our country to a future of success and unity.

— Isabella Wossen

Thank you so much for this incredible award. As a student interested in pursuing a career in healthcare, I really decided to take this essay contest as a challenge to explore and dive into the many intersections between healthcare, society, and law and politics. Furthermore, the healthcare needs of Black and Indigenous People of Colour in Canada is a topic that I'm extremely passionate about, and I'm really glad that my enthusiasm shone through my writing, and that I was chosen as the first-place winner of the 91��ɫ Public Policy Essay Contest.

— Erin Rebello

I would like to thank the School of Public Policy & Administration for holding this essay competition. The act of writing this essay helped broaden my thoughts about what are the most pressing issues of our times. Lessening inequality brings us together, even though we remain our different selves.

— Noah Smale

The essay I composed was a direct response to witnessing the severity of the climate crisis and how it has impacted my life. It is imperative to understand that the climate crisis will affect everyone involved. It knows no borders between the young and old, the rich or the poor. This is a problem we need to come together to solve, and I was especially influenced by watching young climate activists mobilize to fight for what they believe in, by means of campaigning on digital platforms and in previous years, through climate strikes. To see individuals my age be so passionate for a cause awakened my own desire to create change. I would like to thank everyone involved in hosting this competition for the opportunity given to me and it was a pleasure to participate and share my thoughts.

— Selina Alora