Our MapleWishes
MapleWishes... born of the intention to inspire one another to leave positive and enduring footsteps in our wakes...
We believe that we are all ultimately responsible for our communities and the people with whom we share them - and that working together towards a common goal will reap benefits far greater than working alone.
Our 11 MapleWishes broadly span the categories of Health, Poverty, Fellowship, Education, and the Environment.
The Butterfly Project
#1
This project is part of the foundation upon which MapleWishes was built.
Parkinson's disease affects many great people including Mohammad Ali, Michael J. Fox and our grandfather, Francis Mathew.
Our goals for this MapleWish are to raise awareness for the disease amongst our peers and a minimum of $50,000 through our middle and high school years for the Parkinson’s Research Consortium at the Ottawa Hospital.
Homeless to Home
#2
Homelessness is an issue that can affect anyone, regardless of the characteristics society may think predetermines it. The Shepherds of Good Hope is a shelter located in downtown Ottawa that provides services to homeless and at-risk individuals.
Our goals for this MapleWish are to make and inspire the making of a minimum of 10,000 sandwiches among our peers through our middle and high school years. These sandwiches will be donated to the food program at the Shepherds of Good Hope.
# MapleWrite
#3
Inspired by participation in the "InCoWriMo Challenge" to write a letter a day during the month of February, Rowan decided to start a writing campaign with the aim of reaching beyond her immediate community and exchanging words of appreciation and inquiry with 1000 people by 2025.
We believe that there is a lot that can be learned from others, particularly those who with experiences different from our own, and this connection begins with one person reaching out to the other.
Feeding the Future
#4
The 2nd of the United Nation's sustainable development goals - Zero Hunger - states that “Investments in agriculture are crucial to increasing the capacity for agricultural productivity and sustainable food production systems are necessary to help alleviate the perils of hunger”.
Ottawa's "Just Food" is a non-profit organization that supports community based agriculture - a keystone of sustainable practices. With the idea of "starting in our own backyard", we commit to volunteering at Plant-a-row Donate-a-row - a Just Food endeavour that cultivates produce to donate to the Ottawa Food Bank.
The Wishing Well
#5
All ideas, big or small, have the potential to change attitudes, lives, and ultimately, the world.
Different issues are important to different people and there are innumerable worthy causes being campaigned for in incredible and unique ways. So twice a year, we commit to donating $500 dollars to a service campaign initiated by our peers and centered around a cause that they are intrinsically motivated to pursue.
QUAIL House
#6
The Quebec Association for Independent Living (QUAIL) operates a home in Chelsea, Quebec for 6 developmentally challenged adults. The home affords its residents the unique ability to live independently with the appropriate assistance.
QUAIL is in part funded by donations and fundraising. We commit to making tokens to be sold in support at the Wakefield Market and other fundraising events.
To further raise awareness for QUAIL, we will be administering to it's new website.
More Bees Please
#7
Nearly 90 per cent of the world's plants rely on pollinators like bees and butterflies for fertilization and reproduction, including over 70 per cent of the major crops that we rely on for food. Current commercial habits, however, pose a great threat to a number of these pollinators, a reduction of which would could cause a decline in our agricultural industry and in our ecosystem
We have committed to helping "bring back the bees and butterflies" to our communities with the creation of the very first "Monarch Waystation" in Chelsea Quebec. We will also continue to play an educative role in our school's annual "Butterfly Release".
I N S p i R E
#8
In keeping with our respect and appreciation for mathematics, we hope to encourage the pursuit of higher math endeavours amongst our peers - not only as a pure subject, but as a tool that can be applied to our ever evolving world.
I N S p i R E z i n e - Rowan's collaborative digital magazine, first published October 2018, addresses the dynamic and complex relationship between science and art, exploring singular topics from both scientific and artistic viewpoints.
Check it out HERE ⊕
Canada Young
#9
As grandchildren of immigrants, we are very appreciative of the opportunities afforded our family by Canada's open arms. We wish that everyone choosing Canada as temporary or permanent home could share this same legacy.
The Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization - Youth Program (YOCISO) is uniquely committed to newly-arrived youth. We can not think of an organization that better prioritizes the elaboration of the Canadian mosaic and hope to continue to lend support to their after-school program with Rowan's bi-monthly art workshops.
GLOBAL CITIZENS
#10
On December 29th, 2017, we were privileged to attend the high school graduation ceremonies at the Kisaruni Group of Schools, in Kenya - a Me to We initiative. It was a monumental moment for a community whose possibilities for education beyond primary schooling were historically limited by cultural and financial hurdles.
Inspired by the community of students and a chance meeting with Mitch Kurylowicz, founder of "Project Jenga", we were motivated to start an annual campaign to sponsor 4 years of secondary schooling for Martin Isaiah, a Kisaruni learner who will graduate in the class of 2021.
Bookmarked
#11
"The more you read, the more things you know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." -Dr. Seuss
With the goal of bringing new worlds and new opportunities to young Canadians, we commit to supporting "First Book Canada" with 100 books per year for their stocking programs
We further commit to helping to build and renew local libraries with a yearly book drive to amass books for "Friends of the Ottawa Public Library" and the Rockcliffe Community Centre.