What is Youth Focus?
Youth Focus provides young people in the community with an opportunity to get involved in various programs and speaking events.
Youth Speakers:
In a tradition started in 1990 as part of our 90th anniversary celebration, we reserve 7 to 10 minutes on our agenda most months, to provide an opportunity for a young person to speak to our audience.
We encourage a variety of speakers, both male and female. Youth who have an exciting or inspirational personal story to tell, are invited to present to our members—over 400 currently. Like our members, these young people are from the greater London area (including, for example, St. Thomas, Dutton, Strathroy). They vary in age from 5th graders to university students, who inspire us to realize that Canada has a bright future with this upcoming generation. We welcome recommendations from our members as to possible speakers.
Recent speakers include youth who:
completed a cross-Canada tour on the Peacebus, sponsored by Children’s International Summer Villages,
sang with the Amabile Choir for 5 years, highlighted by a gold medal performance in a choral competition in Greece,
travelled to Thailand to be a television reporter at the King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament,
swam courageously across Lake Ontario, raising funds to send a young boy with cancer, to Disney World, and
attended an international school, with classes held in several major cities throughout the world.
Contact us below if you have an inquiry or would like to provide feedback on a youth speaker:
Fatema Barkoumi
Westminster Secondary School
Anushka Bist
Oakridge Secondary School
Lucas Broadfoot
Sir Frederick Banting Secondary School
Miraya Agrawal
Catholic Central High School
Emerging Leaders Awards – 2025
Women’s Canadian Club, London has established the Emerging Leaders Awards to encourage leadership skills in grades 10-11 students. Applications are available through the student services department at the local secondary schools, beginning in February each year.
From the applicants at each school, the awards committee will choose one student as the most worthy at his and her school. Based on enrollment, there are three awards of $250 for students in the Thames Valley District School Board and one award of $250 for the students in the London District Catholic School Board or the French schools. Consult with the student services department for the deadline at each school.
Kiwanis Music Festival Scholarship
In memory of Kathryn Sells, a long-time pianist at our monthly meetings, we provide an annual award of $500, to the top pianist at the Kiwanis Music Festival. In February, the winners are invited to tell us about their own musical experience and about their favourite composer. We especially look forward to hearing them play a piece for us.
By entering several senior piano classes in the London Kiwanis Music Festival, candidates are eligible for consideration for all music festival piano awards and scholarships, as recommended by the festival adjudicators. Awards are presented to competitors who, in the opinion of the adjudicators, show the most potential for future musical development. Awards are not necessarily awarded to class winners.
The 2025 Kathryn Sells award winner is Daniel Thiessen!
Daniel Thiessen is twelve years old and began studying piano at the age of five. Over the past four years he has earned multiple top placements at the Kiwanis Music Festival in London. In 2025, he was awarded first place in both the OMFA Provincial Music Festival and the ORMTA Provincial Competition for piano solo. He has performed at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto in the 2022 Celebration of Excellence in recognition of achieving the highest RCM exam score in Canada that year. He has also performed at the 2024 and 2025 Stars of the Festival showcases in London. Currently, he studies piano with Dr. Kyung Kim at Western University. A student of St. Mary’s Choir and Orchestra School in London, Daniel also plays cello in the school’s orchestra program.
Past Youth Speakers
Topic: “Piano Presentation” At the age of 13, Hugo Russell has already achieved outstanding successes in piano competitions and festivals in Canada. Having been awarded First-Class Honours with Distinction by the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Hugo also received first place in the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers’ Association Composition Competition. He lives in London Ontario, where he studies [...]
Topic: “My Journey Through Science Fairs”. “Danish Mahmood is a 14-year-old young innovator in grade 9 at London Central Secondary School. He will speak about his journey through science fairs with his invention called W.I.N.I.T.S. (Wireless Interconnected Non-Invasive Triage System). He has been recognized with top honours at national and international competitions.”
Topic: “Maples for Vimy”. Sydney Loyst is a 16 year old Laurier S.S. student. She has been in guiding for 12 years. Last spring her guide group leader was approached by “Maples for Vimy” to send some guides to plant maple trees in the small towns near Vimy Ridge, France to honour the 100th year anniversary of the historic battle. [...]
Susannah Salamon is a 12 year old pianist and composer who enjoys composing beautiful neo-romantic music. Susannah’s composition “Vive le Canada!” won 1st prize in the London Kiwanis Music Festival “Canada’s 150” competition. She is also the recipient of the Kathryn Sells memorial award from the Women’s Canadian Club.
