Mavericks of Social Change

Throughout my teenage years I had engaged in a series of small-scale entrepreneurial ventures (eg. starting an Ebay-based sports apparel and memorabilia business). The learning I took from these experiences felt much more empowering and useful than what I had taken in my high school classrooms. So upon my own high school graduation I set out to create an organization to help support applied, real-world learning for young people who would be following in my footsteps. The result was a youth-led organization called Mavericks of Social Change, formed as part of the Classroom Connection Learning Foundation.

Our work was focused on embedding social entrepreneurship curriculum into grade 7-12 classrooms, working in association with the Halifax Regional School Board and the Nova Scotia Department of Education (and with Pathways to Education in Toronto). Over four years of existence we provided learning opportunities inspired by an educational pedagogy focused on learning through action. With efforts focused around two main programs: PeaceJamHFX and Co-op Connections, our approach combined service learning, intergenerational mentorship, events, and access to micro grants funding so youth could have the experience of starting and leading their own projects. 

In an effort to sustain and scale-up our impact, we decided to end direct program-delivery and instead channelled the energy of the networks through like-minded youth engagement initiatives such as Make Your Mark and Brains for Change

On a personal level I learned a tremendous amount about volunteer recruitment, coordination, strategy planning and leadership from the experience, as well as grantwriting and fundraising through experiences securing contributions from Youthscape HRM (via McConnell Foundation), United Way of Greater Halifax, Telus Mobility, Capital DIstrict Health Authority's Community Health Boards, and small private sector donors.