2023 Press Start CoLab Program is looking for members!

The CoLab Program is an innovation accelerator that helps the next generation of change-makers build an idea. Throughout the 10-week program, social entrepreneurs from across the nation will work collaboratively to come up with a minimally viable solution to some of our most pressing problems.

Applications for the 2023 CoLab Program are officially open until June 2nd! Take part in this year's challenge to collaborate and create solutions to the Mental Health Crisis in Canada.

To apply, please click here.

Introducing Two MPH students: Michelle Ruhigisha and Seun Akintayo

The Sandbox Project is delighted to announce that it has welcomed two new Master of Public Health (MPH) students to its team.

The two MPH students, studying at Brock University and Queens University, will be working with The Sandbox Project over the summer as part of their Public Health practicum experience. They will be able to contribute to various initiatives and projects related to child and youth health and gain valuable experience in the non-profit sector.

1. Michelle Ruhigisha: Currently completing her first year of her Masters’s at Brock University, Michelle has a background in Microbiology and research. She has previously worked as a Research Assistant at the Department of Chemistry at the University of Victoria as well as in the private sector.

   Her experience carrying out research and planning programs will support The Sandbox Project design of future iterations of the Sandbox Impact Program.

2. Seun Akintayo: Also in the first year of his Master’s Program, Seun is studying at Queens University. He has an interest in infectious diseases prevention, health promotion, and disease control and has already designed large-scale public health campaigns abroad and in Canada.

   Seun’s experience designing and implementing public health campaigns will support The Sandbox Project’s evaluation of ongoing projects.

The Sandbox Project is excited to see what the summer will bring with the addition of these two MPH students. We look forward to their contributions’ potential impact on the health and well-being of Canadian children and youth.

Let's make sure parliamentarians make every vote a #VoteForEveryChild

As Parliament resumes after its Easter Break, let’s remember to keep elected officials accountable to Canada’s 8 million children.

Our partners at UNICEF Canada have created the Child Rights Legislation Tracker to help the public learn about what bills related to young people are being tabled, how they measure up to children’s rights, and how you can influence their progress through the House of Commons and the Senate of Canada.

To visit the Tracker, please click: https://www.unicef.ca/en/child-rights-legislation-tracker

Nutrition Discovery Labs at Toronto Metropolitan University is seeking participants!

The Nutrition Discovery Labs (ND Labs) at Toronto Metropolitan University is a state-of-the-art research lab researching the relationship between physiological and environmental factors contributing to appetite and energy imbalance. The Labs aim to advise parents, researchers, and caregivers on diet, physical activities, and the environment in preventing or managing overeating in children.

The Lab is looking for 60 children in Toronto aged between 9-14 to study the effects of dairy on children’s cognitive performance, mood and blood sugar.

A generous honorarium is provided to each participant.

To learn more about the research done at the ND Labs, please visit: https://ndlabs.ca/

To register a child, please visit: https://ndlabs.ca/join-a-study/

YCRH 10th Anniversary Alumni Panel is tomorrow!

To celebrate the Young Canadians Roundtable on Health’s(YCRH) 10th anniversary, an Alumni Panel event with former leads will be held on the 15th of March 2023 at 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM EDT.

Speakers:

Alyssa Frampton: Alyssa has worked at the intersections of community engagement, health, and policy for the past 7 years. Alyssa has led and advised many initiatives focused on youth and community-based mental health, children’s rights, youth and community engagement, health rights, and advocacy. She currently works with the Douglas Mental Health University Institute in Montreal. She previously worked with Children First Canada in Youth Engagement.

Alyssa holds a political science degree from Saint Mary’s University, and has completed additional online courses in global adolescent health, youth mental health, harm reduction, and children’s rights. Applying her experience in public relations, policy and engagement, she has led many projects leading to better adolescent health through advocacy and policy change.

Alyssa has had a wide and diverse experience driving change with organizations across Canada, such as The Sandbox Project, AstraZeneca’s Young Health Programme, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada, and the Stop Marketing to Kids Coalition. Additionally, Alyssa has demonstrated and developed skills in facilitation, moderation, and public speaking through leading over 50 speaking events and workshops, both locally and globally. Alyssa currently sits on the Springtide Collective board, and supports policy and communications with the ACCESS Open Minds project.

Umayangga Yogalingam: Umayangga joined Parachute in 2021 and is the Project Lead for the For Young Drivers, By Young Drivers project, which aims to effectively address the issue of road fatalities among youth by partnering with Canadian youth aged 15 to 24.

She holds a Master of Public Health graduate in the Social and Behavioural Health Sciences stream from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. She brings several years of experience in community engagement, qualitative research, knowledge mobilization and youth health. She is passionate about meaningful youth partnership in health, health equity, and creative health promotion and education. She has worked for several organizations in the public health and non-profit space including Health Canada, Tamil Health Association and, most recently, The Sandbox Project as the Research and Knowledge Translation Lead.

Umayangga is also an avid painter and illustrator and does freelance work for Healthy Debate and the University of Toronto’s Department of Health and Society.

Andy Hall: Andy has spent most of his career working in and alongside post-secondary students in many different ways.
Andy went from being the student President at Mohawk College in 2012/2023 to be the Chair of the YCRH. Andy then switched to the staff side of the student leadership industry, working as the Marketing Coordinator for the Mohawk Student Association.

From there, he would travel down the QEW to Niagara College, taking the position of Marketing Communications Manager. While working at Niagara, Andy became the Chair of the Canadian Organization of Campus Activities from 2021-2022.

Registration is free and can be made here: lnkd.in/e7iBgg3a