RICK HANSEN FOUNDATION
Rick Hansen Foundation School Program Now Accepting Nominations For The 2024-2025 Difference Maker of the Year Awards

The Rick Hansen Foundation is pleased to announce that nominations are now being accepted for the Difference Maker of the Year Awards for the 2024-2025 school year. Since 2000, the Rick Hansen Foundation School Program (RHFSP) celebrates and recognizes youth, youth groups, and classrooms of youth from ages five to 18 years, who are making a positive impact in advancing inclusion and accessibility for people with physical disabilities within their school and community through the Difference Maker of the Year Awards.

From now until April 6, 2025 teachers and students can nominate exceptional individuals, youth groups and classrooms for their outstanding contributions to improving the lives of people with disabilities.

"Each year, we're so inspired by youth across the country who are demonstrating their leadership in making their classrooms, schools and communities more inclusive for people of all abilities," says Laura McBride, Sr. Director of Awareness at the Rick Hansen Foundation. "Rick Hansen has always believed in the power of the next generation to change the world and these individuals are proving it's possible."

Award recipients are chosen by a selection committee that consists of previous Difference Maker of the Year Award recipients and members of the RHFSP Youth Leadership Committee. Individual award recipients will each receive an honorarium of $500 to recognize their work, while classrooms and youth groups will receive $1,000 to share.

Criteria for nomination eligibility includes:

• Youth between ages 5-18 (individuals or groups).
• Have positively impacted accessibility and inclusion in the classroom, school, or community benefiting persons with vision, hearing, and/or mobility disabilities (the activity or project's main focus may have been improving accessibility for a different type of disability, but must also have benefits for people with vision, hearing, and/or mobility disabilities).
• Have addressed a community need of persons with disabilities and involved people with disabilities in the solution.
• Majority of the project completed between May 1, 2024 - April 6, 2025.
• Resident(s) of Canada.
• Nominee(s) have consented to being nominated.
• Self-nominations must provide a reference from an unrelated adult that has direct knowledge of the individual and the project or activity undertaken.
• Must not have received an RHFSP Difference Maker of the Year Award in the past 3 years.

Nominations close on April 6, 2025 at 11:59 Pacific Time. For more information and to nominate someone today visit our website.

For inspiration on unique ways to make a difference in your school or community access the RHFSP Difference Maker Starter Kit.