Canada: WE-DAY - Celebrate the power of youth!

An initiative created by Free The Children: We-Day will feature speeches and performances by global leaders, social activists, cultural icons and entertainers. Since its launch in 2007, 51,400 students have attended from throughout North America. They celebrated their successes, learned more about their shared passions and challenges while they built lasting friendships. They then brought those messages of the power of youth volunteerism back to their schools and communities, impacting hundreds of thousands more.

This event also kicks off a year long program of action called We Schools in Action which will include taking local and global action throughout the year. We-Day is free of charge and open to any school that wants to participate. In exchange, each school is asked to join the We Schools in Action program. Since  2007, the participating students collectively fundraised to support Free The Children's Adopt a Village development program and youth volunteered more than 150,000 hours to benefit over 500 charities and community groups. They hope to log over a million hours by 2011 with a huge push by the 10 by 10 Climate change campaign.

There are three event days: Sept. 30 in Toronto featuring:
Wangari Maathai, Green Belt movement founder and Nobel Peace Prize winner; Deepak Chopra, award-winning author and physician;President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first female president and K'naan, Canadian poet, rapper and musician
Oct. 15 in Vancouver featuring:
Martin Sheen, Emmy Award and Golden Globe-winning actor and activist, Reverend Jesse L. Jackson Sr., civil rights leader and politician, Rick Hansen, Canadian athlete, activist and six-time Paralympian, Former Vice President Al Gore, author and Nobel Laureate and a performance by  multi-platinum recording artsists, Hedley
Nov. 12 in Montreal featuring
Mia Farrow, actress and activist, Marc Garneau, astronaut, Robin Wiszowaty, author and community development worker and Spencer West, motivational speaker and inspirational youth leader.

This is a one-of-a-kind event and part of a year-long program devoted to celebrating the power of youth to create a positive change in the world.