WE Day

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS SPECIAL FEATURE | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2015 | PAGE 10 W E Day is for young people, powered by young people. Behind every inspiring, world-changing show, a team of hard-working young staffers defy generational stereotypes to prove how much heart and hope they have. Fifty-five young staff take the show to 13 cities across North America and the UK — putting in months of preparation and countless hours, and digging deep to find that last drop of energy. From stacking the program with top speakers and performers, like Chris Hadfield and Demi Lovato, to stuffing 20,000 kits with goodies for WE Day participants, WE Day is built with keen attention to thousands of details. "At the end of the day, it's important to know that we're making a differ- ence for someone else," says Jordan Vetter, communications coordinator for WE Day volunteers. "It's the in- credible energy from these inspired youth that keeps me going." Vetter is responsible for thousands of volunteers across the country who seat youth, crowd-pump, sell mer- chandise and more. At 23, she's a mil- lennial (the generation born between 1980 and 1995). Far from fitting that generation's stereotype of being apa- thetic or entitled, she says the WE Day team wants more than a paycheque — they want a career built on purpose. "Everyone is looking for something deeper," she adds. "My generation is very interconnected and aware of the world around us. We're concerned with the future." WE Day requires a spectrum of per- sonalities, from production techni- cians to customer-service orientated roles. Some need to be super high-en- ergy, others creative or detail-orient- ed. But the uniting thread is drive, energy and intelligence, says Leah Meers, director of WE Day Global. "When you have highly-qualified At the helm of the inspiring event is a generation driven by purpose By Kimberly Lochhead MEET DALAL AL-WAHEIDI Executive Director of WE Day Global WHO'S BEHIND THAT WE DAY MAGIC? people on your team, you get out of the way and let them do great work," says Meers, who has worked on the WE Day team for seven years. "Our staff has a lot of autonomy and a strong pulse on what's relevant to youth." Young staff and volunteers have helped WE Day evolve from its first stage (outfitted with a backdrop of potted plants) to an awe-inspiring stadium-sized experience. As digital natives, they have leveraged technolo- gy to enhance every part of the event. For example, WE Day's volunteers now sign up through an online portal, similar to the Pan Am Games. "A lot of people underestimate what young people can accomplish at work," says Rann Sharma, global head of people operations and culture at Free The Children. "But millennials want to feel that they are making an impact right away, and we try to foster that." According to a 2013 study, 71 per D alal Al-Waheidi leads the team that brings the power of WE Day to cities in Canada, the US and the UK. She joined Free The Children in 2002. Born and raised in Kuwait, Al-Waheidi fled with family to the Gaza Strip after the Gulf War. As a witness to the terrible impact of war on children, and as a Palestinian who lived in the midst of conflict, she has a unique un- derstanding of the real costs of political and cultural divisions. She places her hope in the value of peace-building and youth leadership. Al-Waheidi grew up struggling to get an education as a girl in times of war and won a scholarship to study in Canada. Drawing on these experiences, she has led Free The Children's innovative initiatives, including WE Day, partnerships with school boards, major corporations, and the highly suc- cessful O Ambassadors program with Oprah's Angel Network. What is your favourite WE Day moment? Malala Yousafzai onstage at WE Day UK in 2014. She is the Pakistani activ- ist who was shot by the Taliban for standing up for girls' education. I totally identified with her, being from that region of the world. She talked about war, and about education. It was an honour for me to have someone like her at WE Day — a young person especially — who was talking about these issues. What's the best part of your workday? Seeing young staff move up within the organization and take charge is something I really cherish. I'm also very passionate about diversity in the workforce. If you look at the level of diversity and women's empowerment at Free The Children, female leadership within the organization is pretty huge. At WE Day, we have representation from all walks of life. When peo- ple think of diversity, they think of ethnicity, but we also have people with different interests and abilities. We all come together to work towards one goal: to change the world. If you had a motto, what would it be? "Challenge equals opportunity." Going overseas by myself, not adequately speaking the language… being in Canada by myself, where I didn't have family. These things were chal- lenges but also opportunities to figure out who I was and who I wanted to be. That's a big part of who I am and a big part of what I want to teach my daughter — there will be challenges, but you have a choice. You can say, "I'm not going to do anything about it" or "I'm going to do my best." cent of millennials want their col- leagues to be a "second family." WE Day also focuses on nurturing relationships. On the tour's stop in Vancouver, the team takes a scenic gondola ride up Grouse Mountain for a staff dinner; it's a moment to cele- brate their efforts together. "Interacting with so many differ- ent young people working here has allowed me to make lasting relation- ships because we form a special con- nection through making a difference together," says Vetter. Since joining WE Day, Vetter also says she's found direction through a sense of purpose in her job. "I haven't always been certain of what I want to do with my life — and still can't say I know exactly — but be- ing in this field and working here has made me certain that, so far, I'm on the right track and doing something that I love." Free The Children is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. A proudly Canadian- founded charity, it empowers millions of children both at home and abroad to create change in the world. As the largest organization serving youth in Canada, Free The Children works domestically with 5,800 Canadian schools through our WE Schools educational program, which engages 1.4 million young people each year. We also celebrate the commitment to service of the 200,000 children who attend our signature WE Day events held in 14 cities throughout Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. Free The Children would like to thank Hartley Richardson, the Richardson Foundation and David Aisenstat for their landmark $15 million gift to establish a new and innovative Global Learning Centre. These visionaries established the concept of a permanent home for the organization and have now made this dream possible. Using cutting-edge technology and housing a team of experts in youth leadership development, the Global Learning Centre will connect millions of young people and tens of thousands of educators to service learning initiatives. This extraordinary contribution will have a lasting impact on youth, families and schools across Canada. OF ALUMNI continue to donate to charity OF ALUMNI continue to serve FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT Rendering is an artist's impression of the upcoming Global Learning Centre Marc Kielburger with Hartley Richardson, President & CEO of James Richardson and Sons, Trustee of the Richardson Foundation, and David Aisenstat, President & CEO of the Keg Steakhouse & Bar Together WE change the world WE Day Director Leah Meers (left) and Executive Producer Lina Beaudin in the midst of final preparations for the season's first WE Day, the culmination of months of creative work and planning by a team of more than 50 young people. Photo credit: Karen Wray Dalal Al-Waheidi (le) meets with local leader Leah Lato Toyianka in Kajiado, Kenya, while visiting Free e Children projects in that country. Prior to assuming leadership of the WE Day team, Dalal was Executive Director of Free e Children. WATCH WE DAY MANITOBA MONDAY, NOV 16 @ 9:45AM WHEN IT COMES TO COMMUNITIES, Y O U G E T W H AT Y O U G I V E . SO GO OUT THERE AND SEND OUT GOOD VIBES! -KARDINAL OFFISHALL INCLUDING A STAR-STUDDED LINEUP Amanda Lindhout and Rinelle Harper Tyler Shaw Kenyan Boys Choir Marlee Matlin Henry Winkler JR Martinez

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