Students from Canada, France, and the UK Selected for 2025 Beaverbrook Vimy Prize

The Vimy Foundation is pleased to announce the youth recipients selected to participate in the 2025 Beaverbrook Vimy Prize, supported by The Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation. This immersive educational program offers youth aged 15 to 17 from Canada, the United Kingdom, and France the unique opportunity to explore the historical landscapes of Europe and foster international cooperation.

The following high school students have been chosen to participate in this esteemed program. They will travel through Europe from August 1 to August 11. The ten-day experiential learning program includes visits to significant sites, museums, cemeteries, and historic battlefields from the First and Second World Wars in France and Belgium. Through a theme-based and on-site learning approach, students will gain international perspectives on key historical events, whether well-known or lesser-known, and understand their lasting impact on the local environment in France and Belgium.

• Alaynna McCurdy – Stonewall, Manitoba
  
• Alexandra Ouellet – Saint-Hubert, Québec
  
• Amelio Skinner – Beaumont, Alberta
  
• Charley Colman – Ottawa, Ontario
  
• Étienne Larochelle – Québec, Québec
  
• George Crowther – Victoria, British Columbia
  
• Gideon Emke – Tatlayoko Lake, British Columbia
  
• Jayden Ly – Edmonton, Albert
  
• Jeeya Patel – Cambridge, Ontario
  
• Louise Ogbinar – Calgary, Alberta
  
• Michelle Jiménez-Bucur – Ottawa, Ontario
  
• Milene Card – Regina, Saskatchewan
  
• Paris Ford – Sidney, British Columbia
  
• Uzziel Aruldoss – Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia
  
• Ellis Thorne – Portsmouth, Hampshire, United Kingdom
  
• Olivia François – Hauteville, Pas-de-Calais, France
  

Through the program, students develop a more complex, global understanding of the First and Second World Wars by expanding, investigating, and, in some cases, challenging narratives that are typically taught in classrooms or which have been traditionally underrepresented. This method of experiential learning allows students to connect more deeply with history, providing a tangible understanding of the events that shaped our world. Important sites and memorials will serve as a backdrop to the narratives shared and explored by educators, historians, and the students themselves.

This experience will provide participants with transferable skills and unique historical perspectives, and will foster connections with peers from multiple countries.

About the Beaverbrook Vimy Prize Program

The Beaverbrook Vimy Prize program is a rigorous and comprehensive initiative aimed at educating youth about the pivotal moments of the First and Second World Wars. Students are selected based on a competitive application process that evaluates their academic engagements and their responses to various components:

1. Essay: Students submit an essay on environmental or sustainability issues faced by their community and their impact.
2. Art Analysis: Applicants analyze a piece from the Beaverbrook Collection of War Art, describing the historic event and  the human or the environmental impact represented.
3. Personal Statement Video: Students record a video explaining the importance of learning about First World War and Second World War history, how they can promote awareness in their community, what they hope to gain from the program, and what they can contribute to it.
4. Resume: Detailing relevant experiences such as volunteer work, projects, community involvement, and awards.
5. Letter of Reference: A reference letter from a teacher, counselor, or community leader highlighting the student's character and suitability for the program.

This comprehensive selection process ensures that participants are not only academically proficient but also passionate about history, community minded and environmentally-conscious.

Thank you to the Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation, the Graham and Gayle Cook Foundation, Aeroplan, Ellison Travels, Randhawa Group, and a number of private donors who make this program possible. 

For press statements, to learn more, or to connect with a recipient:

Kevin McGaw, Communications Coordinator, kmcgaw@vimyfoundation.ca

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