Celebrating the power of youth to change the world

Youth participants showcase their Me to We spirit

On October 19th 2007, Free The Children held its first ever National Me to We Day. An all-day event at the Ricoh Coliseum, National Me to We Day celebrated the power of youth to change the world. With over 7,500 youth and educators filling the arena, the day was a huge step towards making the Millennium Development Goals a reality. 

Hosted by Ben Mulroney, National Me to We day was jam-packed with some of Canada’s most inspiring leaders including Roméo Dallaire, Mark Tewksbury, Irshad Manji, Marc and Craig Kielburger and Justin Trudeau. Free The Children’s very own Michel Chikwanine also had the chance to share his story of growing up in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo. Each speaker shared their own unique story and the life-changing events that took them from Me-thinking to We-thinking, inspiring every participant to take on the Me to We philosophy in their own lives.

Sydney Lupton, a Grade 9 student from Westmount Secondary School remarked, “It [National Me to We Day] got me so pumped up to do so much with my school.”  Sydney has been a long-time supporter of Free The Children and Leaders Today, but after National Me to We Day she’s even more motivated to spread the Me to We philosophy throughout her school.

For Amber Daniels, a Grade 12 student from Markham District High School, National Me to We Day was her first experience with Free The Children, but the impact the event had on her was profound. She now wants to learn more about Free The Children and the situation in developing countries.

Michel Chikwanine shares his story with the audience and the world

Educators who attended National Me to We Day saw the event as a great opportunity for youth across Canada to unite towards global citizenship and making the Millennium Development Goals a reality. Elysa Tarascio, a teacher from Sir Ernst McMillan in Toronto said, “this is the pinnacle of my 18-year teaching career (no exaggeration!). I was so thrilled and so inspired by the speakers and the way our students reacted to participating in this event [. . .] I am so grateful for having been a part of this event and I will treasure this day for the rest of my career.”

National Me to We Day was an amazing start to the Year of We. The excitement, energy and motivation throughout the day left no one un-moved. Now is the time for action. Get involved, learn about issues affecting our world, share your passions with others and change lives by fundraising to support projects overseas. Make this Year of We a year unlike any other!

Helpful Hints from Helpful Links

Join the Year of We movement
Check out highlights from National Me to We Day and cool resources you can use to take action!
Discover the Me to We philosophy

Free The Children is the largest network of children helping children through education in the world, with more than one million youth involved in our innovative education and development programs in 45 countries. Founded by international child rights activist Craig Kielburger, Free The Children has an established track-record of success, with three nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize and partnerships with the United Nations and Oprah’s Angel Network.