At Monday evening’s Algonquin College Board of Governors Meeting, four Recreation and Leisure Services (RLS) program students were awarded the Student Changemaker Award for their outstanding fundraising and advocacy work.  

Tia Taft, Cathy Dowsett, Dakota Ostrowski and Julianna Alibrando raised approximately $4,200 for Ottawa-based charity Do it for Daron (DIFD). DIFD is a youth driven charity that promotes open dialogue about youth mental health through education, awareness and research initiatives in partnership with The Royal, Ottawa’s mental health care teaching and research hospital.  

Every year, second-year students from the RLS program in the Community Development course work with community partners to host fundraising events and raise awareness for projects they are passionate about. The Fall 2021 Term saw RLS students raise approximately $7,700 for local charities — $4,173 of which was raised by the DIFD team. Since 2011, the program has raised over $18,000 for various causes.

RLS professor, Kevin Lee, was astounded by the group’s ability to go above and beyond, “As a result of their hard work and dedication to serving the community, they really exceeded all expectations. The students being awarded are incredibly deserving; they’ve truly moved the needle for improving youth mental health in our region.” 

The team’s work comes at a pivotal time as pandemic-related mental health challenges are on the rise, especially among youth, and resources are spread thin. Project lead, Tia Taft, says that she is especially grateful for the outpouring of support her team has received given the circumstances.  

“The need for mental health support has become increasingly prevalent as we’ve encountered the side effects of a global pandemic and its restrictions,” says Taft. “But what I saw through this experience was that people are willing to listen and support when they see how passionate you are about a cause. The fact that we exceeded our fundraising goal by $3,500 is extraordinarily inspiring. I feel moved by the difference we’ve been able to make.” 

Jay MacLaren, Chair of the Board of Governors, extended his sincere congratulations to the team for their work. Algonquin College President and CEO, Claude Brulé, went on to thank the team for their extraordinary efforts, “You truly are great ambassadors for the College. Thank you so much for engaging our community and raising awareness for youth mental health." 

Taft hopes that recognition such as this only increases awareness of youth mental health and the resources available to youth, like DIFD.  

“Over the years, I’ve invested a lot of time and work on my own mental health. I know now that it’s okay to not be okay, and I want all youth to know that as well,” she adds. “Most people who suffer, suffer in silence — but DIFD breaks down barriers for youth so that they know how and where to reach out for the mental health support they need.”  

About the Student Changemaker Award 
The Student Changemaker Award is a way for the Board of Governors to formally recognize remarkable student successes or projects. The term changemaker was coined by the social entrepreneurship organization Ashoka and means one who desires change in the world, and by gathering knowledge and resources makes that change happen. At Algonquin College, our changemakers – our students – are our most important facilitators of change. In beautiful synergy, through applied learning and research, students can change hearts, minds, communities, countries and the world, as they themselves are changing. In the spirit of change, the Algonquin College Board of Governors’ Changemaker Award recognizes student success in the bold pursuit of a better future.