Dream the Impossible: The spark igniting a movement to support youth

As published in a Desjardins press release

Enthusiasm. Hope. Commitment. These 3 words sum up my experience at Dream the Impossible on June 19 and 20, 2023.

The event reflected the deep, personal calling I feel toward supporting the next generation. Over the past several years, I’ve increasingly sought out opportunities to meet with young Canadians from coast to coast. I wanted to hear their thoughts and better understand their reality. I could feel their need and desire to step back, sit down together and talk about the issues affecting them.

That’s how the idea for Dream the Imposible was born.

We wanted to make sure this event covered what matters most to young people, so we surveyed them to find out what they wanted to talk about. The 3 priority topics that came up and that guided the program for the event were the environment, education and employment, and the economy and finances. We filled our program with speakers, experts and leaders from different backgrounds who generously agreed to share their ideas and knowledge.

Dream the Impossible was a success thanks to the help of our partners, many of whom already work regularly with youth. Their motivation and commitment truly helped us take this initiative to the next level. 

And as you might guess, I’m really proud!

I’m proud we dared to give youth a voice.

I’m proud we had influential people and industry leaders turn up to listen.

I’m proud that despite the doom and gloom surrounding the challenges we face as a society, young people have not lost hope. On the contrary! They want to be a part of the solution. They want to step up and take their place in society.

Because we have a future to build and we want to share what we learned, we’ve put together a summary of Dream the Impossible. In this report, you’ll find an overview of the memorable moments, highlights, and the thoughts and solutions put forward by youth for tackling society’s major issues.

This summary belongs to them. These are their words. I’ll draw inspiration from this report to help make their voice heard, louder than ever, both in the business community and at large, to help create a movement that truly supports youth. I encourage leaders everywhere to join me. Together, we can be springboards that help young people take practical action. I truly believe that we have everything to gain by helping young people grow and find their place. All of society stands to benefit.

Young people are stepping up and are ready to lead the way. Let’s welcome them with open arms.