The Sandbox Project

We’re here to make Canada the healthiest place in the world for children to grow up. The Sandbox Project brings together individuals and organizations to support the health, safety, and well-being of every child in Canada.

Why It Matters

Despite Canada’s prosperity, we lag behind in child health.
According to UNICEF, Canada ranks 19th out of 36 high-income countries for child well-being.

We believe we can—and must—do better.

How We Work

The Sandbox Project is dedicated to improving child and youth health in Canada by fostering collaboration, reducing redundancies, and driving innovation.

Since our founding we have led multi-sector initiatives addressing key gaps in child and youth well-being by providing micro-grants, in-kind expertise, access to a national platform and a wide network of stakeholders to foster co-creation.

We are proud to work with:

Healthcare Professionals

Researchers & Academics

Community organizations

Policy Makers

Non-profits & Charities

Industry Leaders

Parents & Youth

What We Focus On

We champion national efforts in three key areas:

Online Safety

Empowering kids and families to thrive safely in a digital world

Nutrition

Promote nutrition and wellness from early childhood onward

Mental Health & Wellness

Supporting life-saving, community-based services

Julie O’Driscoll

CEO
Julie O’Driscoll is a Principal at GT, a Toronto-based executive advisory firm. A seasoned public affairs and communications expert, she has advised senior federal and Ontario cabinet ministers and led major media and advocacy initiatives across sectors. Julie holds degrees in Communication Studies (University of Texas at Austin) and Broadcast Journalism (Boston University). She lives in Vaughan with her husband and three children and is actively involved in charitable fundraising.

Dr. K. Kellie Leitch

Founder
Founder of The Sandbox Project, Dr. Leitch established the initiative in 2009 following her 2008 report Reaching for the Top for the Government of Canada. A pediatric orthopedic surgeon and former Chair of the Ivey Centre for Health Innovation, she was named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2005 and received the Order of Ontario in 2010 for her advocacy for children and youth. From 2011–2015, she served as a Member of Parliament and held cabinet roles as Minister of Labour and Minister of the Status of Women. In 2019, she became Chief of Orthopaedic Surgery at Children’s of Mississippi and Associate Professor at the University of Mississippi as an associate professor of orthopaedic surgery.

Quincy Wiele

Network Coordinator
Quincy Wiele serves as the Network Coordinator at The Sandbox Project, bringing over a decade of experience in the not-for-profit sector. With a background in politics (BA from University of Trent) and conflict resolution (MA from University of Bradford, UK), he has worked globally on human rights, transparency, and open government. Quincy has led initiatives that shaped policy on migration and anti-corruption and has spoken at international forums hosted by the UN and other INGOs. He is passionate about justice, equity, and building collaborative networks for change.