Meet Carmela Moreno, a bright, young and promising businesswoman from Ottawa, who is the first microgrant recipient of the PCC’s Youth Civic Engagement Lab (YCEL) program. She will use her microgrant to fund her entrepreneurship and financial literacy program for the youth. This is what she has to say:

I’m genuinely grateful to the Philippine Centre of Canada and the Canada Service Corps for awarding me the Youth Civic Engagement Lab micro grant. This support is a crucial step in nurturing our next generation of entrepreneurs. It’s an opportunity to empower them with foundational entrepreneurship and financial literacy, shaping a world filled with innovative leaders and visionary thinkers. I am so honoured to teach, share my experiences, and inspire the youth to dream big and achieve even bigger. Here’s to a brighter, more successful future!

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“Visionary Voices” has been actively lending their members’ talents in video documentation and production to the non-profit sector, and it is on the mission to empower racialized youths in Ottawa through the promotion of self-expression as a means to encourage their civic engagement. To this end, they will use the YCEL microgrant from PCC to hold their video production workshops for youth participants and community engagement activities this winter. This is their inspiring message to PCC and other youths:

“We would like to express our gratitude to PCC and the Canada Service Corps for their support, which has allowed us to empower youth in our community and create positive change. This microgrant award empowers us to make a meaningful impact in our community, and we are committed to using these resources effectively to drive positive change.

What excites us most about Visionary Voices is the potential to empower youth to address critical issues and make a difference through storytelling. We believe in the power of visual storytelling to create awareness and inspire action, and we look forward to seeing the transformative impact of our participants’ work.

To aspiring youth who want to become more involved in the community, we encourage you to take the first step. Your voice matters, and your actions can drive change. Don’t hesitate to pursue your passion and contribute to building a better, more inclusive community. Together, we can make a difference.”
You too, can make a difference in your communities!

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The PCC is the proud implementer of the YCEL- a program which aims to empower youths from visible minority groups in Canada through the enhancement of their awareness on the importance of civic engagement. Being engaged in community affairs is a means for the youth to contribute to the progress of their communities and Canada as a whole. The PCC acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Service Corps for this program.