Since 2012 ROI has had a solid track record developing young rural leaders through youth
leadership programming.
With over 40 graduates to date, youth leadership alumni span over 35 rural Ontario municipalities and are leading in many regional organizations including the Exeter Community Food Bank, Ontario Federation of Agriculture, regional United Way Directorate and local workforce development boards. RCM Alumni are also leading in many rural businesses including receipt of the distinguished South Huron Business and Community Excellence Award, in agricultural consulting, poultry and horticulture farms, and in the northern mining industry. Some RCM Alumni are furthering graduate degrees in law, Agri-innovation research and rural labour relations, while others are leading at local and provincial levels of government including local
municipal council appointments, achieving MPP candidacy, mayoral candidacy and serving rural
residents through planning and municipal public works.
“I ran for office provincially this summer [2022]. Otherwise, you can find me as an atypical
board president at 25 years old for the local centre for workforce development or working on
the local science fair as a director for the Quinte Regional Science and Technology Fair.”
Emilie Leneveu, Quinte Region Rural Change Maker Alumni.
Discover the impact of Rural Change Makers in our Stewardship Report