RISE CHALLENGE

ABOUT RISE

Rise is a program that finds brilliant people who need opportunity and supports them as they work to serve others for life. The program starts at ages 15–17 and offers benefits including scholarships, mentorship, access to career development opportunities, funding, and more as Global Winners work toward solving humanity’s most pressing problems.  

Everyone who applies joins a global community of leaders and gains access to free online courses and opportunities from our partners around the world. 

What are the benefits for Rise Global Winners?

Benefits for Rise Global Winners take many shapes. The program is personalized and flexible, tailored to Global Winners’ needs as they evolve over time. We aim to provide Global Winners with individualized support to empower them to achieve their goals while they work to serve others throughout their lives.

All Rise Global Winners receive access to the following benefits and participate in the following programs upon selection:

• Residential Summit: An invitation to attend a fully-funded, three-week residential summit with other members of the Rise Global Winner cohort—to be held in a rotating location globally for each new cohort—as well as to join network events in subsequent years.

• Mentorship & Career Services: Mentors paired with each Global Winner to provide personal, academic, or professional guidance, and specialized career services for internships and jobs.

• Programming: Access to specialized programs, courses, and fellowship opportunities through Rise partners. Online courses are delivered on a specially designed learning platform being developed with High Resolves.

• Global Winner Network: Access to a network of other Global Winners across cohorts to connect on common interests, make service commitments, launch enterprises, and collaborate together.

• Higher Education Scholarships: A four-year, post-secondary scholarship at any accredited university, including tuition and a living stipend, based on need and where not already covered by financial aid.

• Technology: Technology packages, such as laptops or tablets, to be determined each year.

In addition, all Rise Global Winners will have the opportunity to apply for the following benefits:

• Partner Network: Opportunity to be matched to programs, secondary school scholarships, internships, and other benefits from partners who are part of the Rise network.

• Funding Opportunities: Opportunity to apply for funding to experiment with innovative ideas to address major problems in local communities or around the world—ranging from seed money to start a social enterprise to a grant for a non-profit. Funds will be designated for these purposes in a total pooled amount of at least $5 million per year of the program.

• Education Support: Opportunity to apply for scholarship funds for a graduate degree.

TO LEARN MORE AND APPLY GO TO THE WEBLINK BELOW:

KATIMAVIK

Katimavik offers young adults opportunities to gain life skills and work experience while contributing to community development through volunteerism.

The word ‘Katimavik’ originates from the Inuktitut language, meaning ‘meeting place’. Since 1977, Katimavik has brought young Canadians together to learn, to exchange culture and language, and to help build stronger communities across Canada.

Katimavik aims to help youth become engaged, caring citizens and capable contributors and leaders for a better Canada. We do this through the development of 21st century skills, experiential learning, and civic engagement.

To learn more about Katimavik volunteer programs and to apply, go to https://katimavik.org/en/ -weblink is below:

Stanford University Mentors Qualia Global Scholars Summer Program 

This program is open to students in Grades 9-12.

Organized by Stanford University undergraduate and graduate students, Qualia Global Scholars is a selective pre-collegiate summer program that aims to empower high school and middle school students by advancing their leadership, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills through near-peer mentorship, project-based experiential learning, and interdisciplinary research. The program is led by Stanford students who have first-hand experiences of how transformative the Stanford experience can be in opening the doors to incredible opportunities. However, access to such opportunities is limited to a select few.

“Talent is evenly distributed, but opportunity is not.”

Qualia’s mission is to change this by inspiring and empowering talented students from around the world to be the next generation of global leaders. Inspired by our work in an innovative pilot project from Stanford University offering courses to talented pre-college students from diverse backgrounds and based on principles from the learning sciences, this program leverages the best of liberal arts and STEM education. Under the guidance of mentors, students learn about- and work on interdisciplinary projects. All students who complete the program receive certificates of completion, and the top projects from the program, as judged by the committee of mentors, will be awarded special awards in different categories.

Led by Stanford Students

Qualia Global Scholars are matched with outstanding Stanford students who serve as mentors during the program. Through one-on-one and small-group meetings, students receive highly personalized mentorship and guidance from Stanford mentors passionate about inspiring the next generation of talent.

Project-based Experiential Learning

Students master the concepts, frameworks, and toolkits learned during class by applying them to projects that they are passionate about. Through hands-on learning experiences in small-group projects, students are exposed to key steps such as brainstorming, research, ideation, and prototyping.

Interdisciplinary Research and Learning

Students attend weekly online lectures covering the critical STEAM and liberal arts skills necessary for thriving in the 21st century and leading the future of innovation. Students learn about diverse areas such as science, technology, engineering, humanities, and social sciences through lessons covering a wide array of fields such as leadership, AI, HCI, biotech, environmental science, computer science, design thinking, entrepreneurship, venture capital, communication, and social impact. Classes and activities culminate in a research project, presentations and a research paper. Prior experience in any of these areas is not required.

College Admissions and Beyond

In addition to teaching and providing personalized mentorship on projects, Stanford students also hold workshops and one-on-one office hours to guide students on college applications as well as academic, personal development, and career-related activities. By helping students figure out their passion for contributing to the betterment of the world, mentors help students demonstrate their unique stories to get admitted to the top colleges and universities worldwide.

Eligibility

Open to current high school (grades 9-12) and middle school (grades 6-8) students with varied interests, passions, and backgrounds.

Prerequisites

No prior experience with any of the areas covered in the program is required or assumed. Students will be placed in cohorts based on their experience, age, and interests.

Admission Process

We encourage students to apply as early as possible as qualified candidates are admitted on a rolling, space-available basis through a competitive process.

Program Fee and Financial Aid

Program Fee: Approximately $1350

Application for the program is free, and need-based financial aid is available for a limited number of applicants from low socio-economic backgrounds. Qualifying applicants will be able to apply for financial aid as part of the program application. The program is focused on democratizing access to educational opportunities for students from all backgrounds, including low-income and underrepresented communities. The program fee makes it possible for us to run the program, provide need-based financial aid, and support our social impact education projects.

To learn more and apply, please go to the weblink below. Apply as soon as possible for rolling admission into the program:

 Discover Japan Language & Culture Program

Registration is now open for the 2025–2026 Discover Japan Language and Culture Program! The Discover Japan Language and Culture Program (DJLCP) is a registered non-profit organization dedicated to fostering global understanding by providing Saskatchewan students with engaging Japanese language instruction, rich cultural programming, and transformative educational opportunities.  Students can enroll in a weekly Japanese Language and Culture Class and obtain a high school credit for their efforts.  Our program now has Dual Credit status. 

The other half of the program involves an optional immersive travel experience to Japan. We feel that the two parts compliment each other with the class preparing students with the language skills and cultural understanding to make the most of their time in Japan, and the trip itself providing an education experience that simply cannot be replicated in a classroom. That being said, they can also operate independently - we often have students just join the class and or just enrol in the trip alone and we make every effort to make it an inclusive experience.  Here's a quick summary of key information:

About the Program

• Language & Culture Class
  Runs most Saturdays from September 2025 to May 2026, offering students an engaging introduction to Japanese language, history, and customs.

• Earn High School Credit
  This class is now recognized for Dual Credit by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education—students can earn 9560 Japanese (DC) 10L as an elective towards their high school graduation requirements.

• Optional Immersive Travel Experience
  In July 2026, students will have the opportunity to explore Japan on a guided 11-day tour through Tokyo, Fujioka, Hakone, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka and more!

Important Information on Travel Costs

We want to be transparent about a change that has been difficult for us. The cost of the travel portion has increased since our last program in 2023, largely due to global rises in airfare and accommodations and the increased popularity of Japan. That said, we’ve worked hard to keep it as affordable as possible while still offering a safe, high-quality, and culturally rich experience. We’re pleased to offer:

• A $200 early enrollment discount for those who sign up soon.

• Access to a Financial Assistance Program through our travel partner, Explorica:

  • Grants (up to $2,000 total across our group) are available to participants who self-identify as requiring financial support, or who are members of underrepresented groups (Asian, Black/African, Indigenous, Hispanic/Latinx, LGBTQIA+, or have a disability).

  • These applications must be submitted by the end of June, so early enrollment is essential to qualify.

• We will do our best to support families who wish to engage in group fundraising.

What’s Next?

We invite interested students/parents to us this google form to share their contact for more information. We will also be hosting information sessions in the coming weeks to answer questions and walk through details of both the class and travel portions. Our next one will be on May 31 at 11:00 am at the Glen Elm Library in Regina with more to come soon.

Visit the weblink below for more information or reach out directly by emailing: info@discoverjapansk.ca