Josephine Maharaj
Pronouns: She/Her Josephine Maharaj (she/her) is a youth rights advocate based in Ottawa, Ontario. She first joined the Young Canadians Parliament in 2022. As an active member of the program, Josephine participated in several meetings with Parliamentarians, and spoke on the issues affecting young Canadians. As a first time member of the Youth Advisory Council, […]
Zelal Emre
Pronouns: She/Her Zelal Emre is a driven advocate and leader with a strong commitment to social impact, environmental sustainability, and education. As the founder of multiple social initiatives, she has spearheaded projects that address critical issues such as disaster relief and female empowerment. Recognized nationally for her persuasive speaking and leadership, Zelal has collaborated with […]
Sahar
Pronoun: She/Her I’m deeply passionate about children’s rights, driven by a commitment to addressing disparities in education, healthcare, and opportunities for marginalized children. This passion has led me to advocate for youth empowerment, mental health, and homelessness through various initiatives. As a member of my city’s youth advisory council, I collaborated with the Mayor and […]
Jayden Paquet-Noiseux
Pronouns: He/Him Jayden Paquet-Noiseux (17) is a passionate youth leader in his community of Mont Saint-Hilaire Qc and is a first-year student at the University of Ottawa. His work with Children First Canada has been multifaceted, from being a YCP Activator to hosting events, being a panellist, and volunteering as a facilitator and youth consultant. […]
Kelsey Beson
Kelsey is a natural and talented advocate with over 17 years of experience in serving young people, their families, and the systems they interact with, including the child welfare, residential, mental health, education, and criminal justice systems. This has included engaging in community development, managing residential care homes, licensing group and foster care homes for […]
Nicolette Beharie
Natasha Hope Morano
Natasha Hope Morano, MA is the President of NHM Connect, an Ottawa based consultancy company specializing in strategic partnerships, fundraising, event management and corporate and government relations. A demonstrated history of working in the non-profit sector has equipped Ms. Morano with providing her client base with high level strategic advice. Ms. Morano has grown her […]
Vanessa Hagan
Vanessa is an undergraduate student at the University of Ottawa, studying French-English Translation. She has a passion for languages, which stemmed from her love of reading and writing, and which has led her to love travelling and learning about the beautiful cultures all around the world. Vanessa aspires to graduate with her Bachelor’s and one […]
Roman Wolfli
Pronouns: He/Him Roman Wolfli is a 17 year-old from Calgary. Roman has been engaged with Children First Canada since the age of 11, participating and facilitating several in-person and online events. Roman has been passionate about politics from a very young age and feels that the youth voice must be incorporated into decision making. Roman […]
Joanne Gosselin
Joanne has been a compassionate and enthusiastic educator for 38 years. She has been an advocate for “student voice” for the past 25 years: coordinating and organizing student summits, and leadership and peer assistance camps. Student engagement and empowerment through “student voice” initiatives have been at the centre of her recent work, especially since retiring […]