Josephine Maharaj
Josephine Maharaj (she/her) is an 18-year-old advocate for child and youth rights based in the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabe nation, known today as Ottawa. She first began her journey with Children First Canada as a participant in their Young Canadians Parliament program in 2022. Then, she joined the Youth Advisory Council where […]
Jayden Paquet-Noiseux
Jayden Paquet-Noiseux is a passionate youth leader in his community and a student at the University of Ottawa. Jayden has always invested a lot of his time in his school’s community outreach programs and with national organizations that focus on children’s rights, mental health and helping others. School hasn’t particularly been easy for him, as […]
Taleena Banton
Taleena (she/her) is passionate about health equity, with interests in LGBTQIA+ advocacy, racial disparities in health care, and youth well-being. She is currently completing her degree in Health Sciences with a specialization in Population and Public Health. Taleena is also active in her school community, contributing to feminist and community-based initiatives that promote inclusion and […]
Zina El Baz
Zina El Baz is the Digital Marketing and Communications Coordinator at Children First Canada, bringing experience in digital strategy, international communications, research, and advocacy. She holds an Honours Bachelor’s degree with a Specialist in Digital Enterprise Management from the University of Toronto, where she was recognized as a Dean’s List Scholar. She is currently pursuing […]
Dolapo Omole
Dolapo Omole is an experienced executive support and operations professional who supports Sara Austin, CEO of Children First Canada. In her role, she provides executive and administrative support, coordinates stakeholder engagement, facilitates project implementation, and supports board governance, donor relations, and organizational initiatives. With extensive experience across the nonprofit, consulting, and corporate sectors, Dolapo brings […]
Sage Hodder
I’m Sage Hodder, an Indigenous spoken word artist and founder of Oshki-ABA—an organization dedicated to digital safety and identity-based protection education. Tracing my ancestry to the historical Lettbette family, my commitment to child rights stems from my own experiences as an Indigenous youth navigating digital spaces built without protections for kids like me. My work […]
Nina Shulga
Nina Shulga is a 16-year-old French immersion student from Halifax, Nova Scotia, passionate about youth advocacy, child rights, environmental justice, and ensuring young people have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect their lives and futures. Her interest in child rights comes from her belief that children and youth should be heard, respected, and included […]
Hanna Grover
Hanna Grover is a youth advocate, researcher, and community-builder driven by a deep belief that every child deserves to be empowered to shape the world around them. Through Children’s First Canada and her broader advocacy, she has worked to amplify child and youth voices across issues including health equity, mental health, education, and digital safety. […]
Finn Ye
Finn Ye is a 17-year-old youth advocate from Richmond, British Columbia, passionate about ensuring young people have an active role in shaping the decisions that affect their lives. They are particularly passionate about civic engagement, queer rights, and sustainable living, especially creating meaningful responses to eco-anxiety. To Finn, participating in Children First Canada’s YAC is […]
Crystal Wang
Crystal is a Grade 12 student in Toronto, Ontario. Although she is interested in almost all areas of human geography, she is especially passionate about international development and public health. She was honoured to be invited to attend the UN High-Level Political Forum and the UN ECOSOC Youth Forum. As a recognized advocate for youth […]