TELUS Inspires Canadian Youth at We Day

Two years ago I had the pleasure of experiencing my first We Day with my eldest daughter, Miss Priss, and we left filled with a feeling of confidence that the youth there would continue the path of inspired motivation.  Recently one of the sponsors of We Day,
 
TELUS, invited me to bring both my teen daughters along this year to the local We Day in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. My eldest had been before but she was no less eager  to feel the awesome message that Craig and Marc Kielburger continue to spread across the nation.
 

This was the first time my 12 year old daughter, Squeakers, was able to attend We Day. She had heard so much about it and the work Craig & Marc have done with their humanitarianism. She was excited to have the chance to meet Craig in person, so much so that she could barely sleep the night before. With the passion Craig & Marc give during their speeches it’s no wonder meeting Craig was the highlight of the day. Hearing Craig & Marc speak is intense; I looked around the stadium and watched as the words they spoke created this vibration of get-up-and-go throughout the youth, many youth who had worked hard to be chosen to attend.

I had more than a few highlights for We Day this year but it was amazing to hear the real life story, turned movie, of Captain Richard Phillips. His heroic story of getting through the worst, even when there seemed to be no positive outcome, really made us think how never giving up and pushing forward is what makes changes happen.
 

When we heard the purpose of the Rafiki bracelets sold at We Day, my girls wanted to support the Kenya mama’s who made them. Each bracelet symbolizes something different and provides support for women’s economic empowerment and well-being of their families. Each Rafiki bracelet sold supports and income earning program through Free the Children in overseas communities. When you purchase, you give a baby chick to support a woman’s income.
 

Throughout the day the line-up of speakers and performers was exceptional; it was inspiring to hear each individual story of challenge and how they came to overcome that, especially as a young child. Before long a Canadian flag was sent through the crowd and each of the thousands of youth in the vicinity worked together to move that flag around the stadium. It was a symbol of our Canadian youth united, working together to make something happen.

We Day has the vibe of inspiration, empowerment and motivation that seems to resonate through the youth of the stadium but when it’s time to go home, it’s then that the hard work begins. There are no motivators who have been there, done that, whispering for you to get moving and make a difference; it’s up to you to make that happen.  We365 was born just for that reason, to continue on guiding youth to start a change for the better, to get their friends involved and really make a difference on a day to day basis.
 

In partnership with Free the Children, TELUS has created We365. We365 is a free mobile app and website that enables young people to track and verify their volunteer activities for school, as well as provide the tools needed to fundraise, take action, and amplify messages for thousands of different charities. In its simplest form, it is a social platform to find and share inspiring content with like-minded users and friends, all while supporting causes most important to the individual.
 

For every We365 sign up 1 child will be immunized. I don’t think there is a better visual reason than this to work that smartphone, download the free We365 app and start using it. Create your own challenges, join or volunteer; whatever your cause, We365 will help keep track your progress and offer tools to help, all in the palm of your hand.

If your teen youth haven’t had the opportunity to attend a We Day event yet, I highly recommend looking for the next event near you. Often schools will select a number of students to go who have contributed to their school or community; it’s never to late to start making a difference.

Disclosure: I attended WeDay as a guest of TELUS. My opinions are 100% my own.