This year has marked a significant milestone for Award Canada, celebrating 60 years as we strive to reinforce the Award’s role in supporting formal education. We deeply believe in our mission and the pivotal role that experiential learning should play in shaping the lives of young people. This is our story of impact in 2023.
Our vision is to equip every young person in Canada regardless of background and life circumstance, with the necessary skills and experience to succeed in life.
Our vision is simple to understand: whoever you are, wherever you come from and whatever you define as success, the Award can be used to help you develop essential skills that only come through experience. As a young person, a high school diploma, college certificate or university degree shows your technical prowess. An Award certificate testifies to your character and represents the life skills you have developed, including confidence, a sense of purpose, resilience, problem-solving, compassion, and respect for diversity.
Our mission is to ensure the Award and its benefits, are known and embraced by institutional and individual partners and used as a tool to inspire and guide young people into life-enhancing experiences.
Our mission drives our people to work towards our vision. Working hard to ensure we generate greater awareness and understanding of the Award through our networks of Award Holders and supporters. Working hard to highlight the life skills the Award develops in individuals for the long-term and the benefits Award Holders bring to their communities. Working hard to build a network of partners who use the Award locally to impact their network of young people.
Building on 60 years of impact
Reflecting on the past year as we commemorated the 60th Anniversary of the Award in Canada, we embraced the legacy of six decades of positive impact and then built on that legacy to empower the next generation of Canada’s best resource: its young people. In our first year following the adoption of our new licensing model, participant registration increased by 6.3%, with the licensing of large-scale Award Centres increasing substantially. This expansion solidifies our foundation for future growth.
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Since the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic, various external trends and opportunities have arisen, directly impacting the Award, its operational contexts, and its prospective roles. One significant trend is the heightened recognition by policymakers and governments of the significance of non-formal education in preparing young people for life and employment.
In response, we initiated the development of our new co-curricular education strategy in 2023, engaging more education ministries and school boards in discussion than in the previous 10 years. This involved collaborating with educators and education sector leaders to position the Award framework as the premier tool for integrating experiential learning outcomes into school curriculums. Our endeavors throughout 2023 and into 2024 have been dedicated to redirecting our resources towards embedding Award learning outcomes within school curriculums across Canada.
To support our refocused strategy, we leveraged our 60th Anniversary celebrations to reconnect with our supporters, asking them to help Fund the Need through contributions and/or lobbying on behalf of the Award. This report is a testament to the countless hours worked by dedicated staff, selfless volunteers, and committed supporters who celebrated with us and renewed their commitment to our vision and mission.
Heading into the next 60 years and beyond, the Award is well positioned to become a catalyst in the positive development of young people in Canada.
Amy Langhorne
Chair, Board of Directors
Stephen De-Wint
Chief Executive Officer
Our impact by the numbers
Since 1963, we have empowered young people to develop their infinite potential by setting and achieving goals with the support of a mentor through our experiential learning framework. This is the impact of our learning framework in 2023…
Through participating in their activities, young people who completed an Award...
33,537 hours
giving back to causes they care about. As a result 87% now believe they can make a difference in their community.
48,000+ hours
building and leading healthy lifestyles. As a result 83% have improved their physical fitness.
47,307 hours
learning and mastering new skills. As a result 78% find it more exciting to try new things.
Celebrating 60 years of Impact
In 2023, Award Canada marked a significant milestone, commemorating 60 years of nurturing positive development in young individuals. Throughout a year-long celebration, we shared impactful stories from individuals spanning each decade since 1963, while also applauding the recent achievements of those who completed their Awards in 2023. Furthermore, we seized this opportunity to outline our vision for the future growth of the Award in Canada.
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By convening young people, Award volunteers, and education professionals, we facilitated discussions on the potential for the Award’s learning framework to serve as a pivotal experiential tool for educators, supporting their work in nurturing the personal development of their students.
This is how we celebrated 60 years of impact
We brought together 63 participants and 19 Award leaders to discuss how they envision the Award shaping future learning. Participants emphasized the value of hands-on learning beyond academics. Engaging in the Award helped them develop skills such as resilience, leadership, commitment, communication, and community involvement.
A round table discussion on the merits of non-formal education and the challenges facing the public school system was hosted by the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and moderated by HRH The Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, KG, KCVO. Ministers, Deputy Ministers, and Curriculum Developers from across Canada, who have expressed an interest in Experiential Learning and the Award were in attendance.
We formally recognized Scouts Canada, Girl Guides of Canada, The Aga Khan Council of Canada, and Southeast Cornerstone Public School District of Saskatoon, in becoming our National Award Delivery Partners and thanking them for their commitment to our shared vision for the Award's future growth.
In an effort to enhance support for our delivery partners, we convened 16 Award Coordinators and Senior Leadership team members from 12 Award Centres Together, we explored the potential of our learning framework as a co-curricular tool to bring positive impacts to students, teachers, schools, and local communities.
In 2023, we enhanced how we recognize the achievements of young people who completed a Gold Award, providing an opportunity to connect and engage with fellow Award Holders. This year we celebrated the achievements of 135 young people receiving their Gold Award at 4 Award Holder Celebrations.
During Award Awareness Week from October 16th to 20th, we engaged the wider Award community across Canada, sharing impactful stories, promoting shoreline cleanups, and hosting workshops with delivery partners on various Award-related topics.
On April 25, 2023, over 300 guests from across Canada, including HRH The Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh KG, KCVO, as patron, and the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, gathered to celebrate 60 years of the Award's impact and its future growth in Canada.
Using our 60th Anniversary Gala as a catalyst, we launched the “Fund the Need” campaign raising over $387,552 in support of initiatives to make the Award more accessible by creating more equitable opportunities and lowering barriers for participation.
As part of our celebrations this year, we connected with 60 inspiring Award Holders to share their personal story of how the Award had a positive impact on them. One of those inspiring Award Holders was Anaya, a Gold Award Holder from Ontario. "I’m glad I participated in the Award because I don’t think I would have learned many of the skills I now possess because of the award itself!"
Key areas of focus in 2023
Expanding Access to the Award
During 2023, we made the Award more accessible by putting our target schools strategy into action. This included providing personalized account management for Award Centres, boosting support for our licensed partners, introducing a co-curricular education strategy, and improving the Virtual Award Centre.
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Throughout 2023, we dedicated our efforts to developing and refining our digital tools to bolster the delivery of the Award. A standout addition was the launch of the Online Recognition Portal, offering participants a digital platform to access their Award achievements and the invaluable life skills they acquired during their journey.
Key Highlights
4
new national delivery partnerships signed, with 45 new Award Centres established.
14,000+
Award queries were resolved through the Award Remote Support Centre in 2023.
New digital tools including the new Online Award Recognition Portal, and enhanced digital resources and tools for participants and delivery partners.
67%
of respondents to a brand perception survey indicated they valued the Award’s framework.
Co-curricular strategy
Developed the co–curricular education strategy aimed at positioning our learning framework as a tool for educators to integrate experiential learning into their curriculums.
Networking with Key Education Partners
In support of our new co-curricular strategy, we hosted several summits with key stakeholders in the education sector. These summits proved invaluable in collecting valuable feedback while establishing relationships with key decision makers at both the School Board and Education Ministry levels.
New and Enhanced Digital tools
This past year we retooled our digital infrastructure, focusing on optimizing our platforms and processes. Notably our new Online Award Recognition portal and Adventurous Journey Navigator platforms demonstrate our commitment to streamlining and enhancing the Award experience for all stakeholders.
Enhanced Award Centre Support
We revamped our Award Centre Support model, adding new training opportunities and optimized Award delivery resources for our volunteers, making it easier to deliver the Award to the young people they mentor.
Extending the reach of the Award
We spent 2023, working to ensure the Award in Canada is as diverse and inclusive as Canada itself. Through transitioning to whole-grade Award registrations with schools who are licensed Award Centres, we have begun to see improvements in the scale of diversity and inclusion for the Award in Canada. As we continue to move towards adoption of the Award as a co-curricular tool, we expect to see this to continue.
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Additionally, we established partnerships with the Royal Bank of Canada and the McCall McBain Foundation, introducing new bursary opportunities to eliminate financial barriers to Award participation.
Removing Financial Barriers
Last year we took active steps to remove financial barriers to Award participation through strategic partnerships and initiatives. This included the launch of a new “Changing Lives Activity Grant with the McCall McBain foundation aimed at helping those facing financial barriers participate in life changing activities, and continued support from the Royal Bank of Canada at funding the costs of the Adventurous Journey for those who needed support.
The Youth Resiliency Project
From 2021-2023, the Award undertook an initiative to expand its learning framework to young people in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut’s justice system. This initiative saw 30 justice-involved youth participate in the program, with seven successfully completing the Award and 14 who are still actively involved.
Strengthening the impact of the Award
In 2023, we took significant steps to enhance the impact and delivery of the Award framework. As part of our 60th- anniversary celebrations we streamlined our Award Holder Celebrations to be more cost effective and more engaging for attendees, while ensuring the moment of celebration for each young persons achievement is meaningful and memorable.
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We also made great strides in further understanding the impact of the Award on young people and society at large, including publishing reports on the improved employability and improved mental health and wellbeing. Finally, we also progress with the development of the Adventurous Journey (AJ) Navigator, to better support participants complete their AJ in a timely manner.
Award Holder Growth
As we celebrated 60 years of impact, we called out to Award Holders of all ages to share their Award story. This touch point allowed us to reengage and grow our Award Holder network adding 111 new members, while sharing some incredible stories highlighting 60 years of impact.
Social Value Impact of the Award
The Award continues to maintain a strong social value benefit to Canadian society. Notably through our stakeholder’s participation in Award related activities, the Award generated $18.4 million in social value or $3.15 for every $1.00 invested into the Award.
New Impact Publications
Furthering our understanding of the impact of the Award, we published new reports on substantial benefits young people gain from Award participation including: improved employability, increased physical activity and healthy lifestyle changes and improved mental health and wellbeing.
Adventurous Journey Navigator
This year we made significant progress with the development of the Adventurous Journey (AJ) Navigator. An online learning portal, launched in 2024, designed to simplify the AJ process and centralize all resources and tools needed by Award participants to plan and complete their journey.
Revamped Award Celebrations
With the introduction of our revamped Award Holder Celebrations model offers a streamlined, standardized, and cost-effective delivery model that integrates participant recognition, sponsor engagement, donor involvement, and Award Holder engagement in a meaningful way.
Financial Summary
Full 2023 Audited financial statements are available here.
Revenue Comparison 2022-2023
For the year-end of December 31, 2023, with comparative information from 2022.
Allocated Expenses 2022-2023
For the year-end of December 31, 2023, with comparative information from 2022.
Our Supporters
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the many individuals, as well as the corporations, government departments, foundations, and generous donors through community foundations, who have supported Award Canada. Your contributions represent vital investments in the holistic development of our youth and in the betterment of Canadian society as a whole. Thank you for your unwavering commitment and generosity.
Government Supporters
Corporate Supporters
Foundation Supporters
The Bealight Foundation
The Hermant Family Foundation
The O’Born Family Foundation
The Williams Wilson Sherport Foundation
I feel I’ve gained a great benefit from the Award and so I’m proud to be able to provide my contributions as a donor in whatever way I can. The Award has created value for me, and I have a desire to see that continue into the future.
Ashley Lorette, Gold Award Holder, Director-At-Large – Award CanadaThank you for investing in our young people, our communities, and our future. Because of your support Over 10,100 young people in Canada took ownership of their present and future by actively participating in the Award in 2023. Our like-minded partners and supporters are key to helping us continue to champion young people across Canada and ensure that the Award remains accessible. Together we are helping equip young people to become ready for the world and discover their infinite potential.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss our impact in further detail, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
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