What Happens When Communities Invest in Young People

How These High School Students Decided to Fix Focus

What happens when three high school students realize that distractions and procrastination are getting in the way of learning? Instead of complaining about the problem, they decided to build a solution. In this episode of GenNext, Ms. Cam sits down with Grade 12 students Iman Alyousif, Nadia Radwan, and Afshal Fatima, the creators of ClockWise, an app designed to help students build healthier habits, reduce screen time, and stay accountable while working toward their goals. The Team shares: * What it's really like balancing school, extracurriculars, and university applications * Why social media and constant distractions make studying harder than ever * How they turned a problem they experienced themselves into a real project * The process of researching, validating, and building an app as high school students * How mentorship, community support, and the Youth Creativity Fund helped bring their idea to life * Why young people shouldn't wait until they're older to start creating solutions This conversation is full of practical advice, honest reflections, and a powerful reminder that some of the best ideas come from the challenges we face every day.. 🚀 Try This Challenge: Iman, Nadia, and Afshal's challenge for listeners this week: For one week, put your phone away for two hours each day. During those two hours: * No phone * No social media * No YouTube on another device * No "just checking one thing" Use the time to work toward a goal that matters to you: * Study for a test * Read a book * Exercise * Learn a new skill * Build something * Spend time with friends or family At the end of the week, ask yourself: * What did I accomplish? * Was it easier to focus? * How did I feel without constant distractions? You might be surprised by how much you can get done when your phone isn't competing for your attention. Links Clockwise IG: @clockwise_3 [https://www.instagram.com/clockwise_3/] Clockwise LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clockwise-3/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/clockwise-3/] Nadia Radwan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadia-radwan-49715331a/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadia-radwan-49715331a/] Iman Alyousif:https://www.linkedin.com/in/iman-alyousif-34b753306/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/iman-alyousif-34b753306/] Ingenious+ Grant: https://ingeniousplus.ca/ [https://ingeniousplus.ca/] BEP Website: https://www.bepwr.ca/ [https://www.bepwr.ca/] Youth Creativity Fund: https://youthcreativityfund.ca/ [https://youthcreativityfund.ca/] YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GenNextPodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@GenNextPodcast] Instagram: @thegennextpodcast  [https://www.instagram.com/gennextpodcast/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gennext-podcast [https://www.linkedin.com/company/gennext-podcast]

He’s 14… and Already Building for His Generation

What happens when a 14-year-old notices that students around him are overwhelmed… and decides to build a solution instead of just talking about it? In this episode of GenNext, Ms. Cam sits down with Grade 8 student, chess player, cadet, hackathon participant, and young builder Tanish Dave, creator of Mindful Mirror, an AI-powered app designed to help students manage stress, organize their thoughts, reflect through journaling, and feel more supported. Tanish shares: * How video games sparked his curiosity for building * What it’s really like to participate in hackathons as a teen * Why he believes students today feel unheard and overwhelmed * How he taught himself to build apps using AI tools * The power of mentors, networking, and just starting before you feel ready * Why young people no longer need to “wait until they’re older” to create something meaningful This conversation is packed with insight, energy, and a reminder that some of the best ideas start with simply noticing a problem and taking the first step. 🚀 Try This Challenge: Tanish’s challenge for listeners this week: Grab a notebook, sticky notes, or your phone and start brainstorming ideas (even silly ones). Write down: * problems you notice * things that frustrate people * tools you wish existed * ideas you think would make life better Then narrow your list down to your top 5 ideas. Links Tanish LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanish-dave-4176503b6/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanish-dave-4176503b6/] BEP Website: https://www.bepwr.ca/ [https://www.bepwr.ca/] Youth Creativity Fund: https://youthcreativityfund.ca/ [https://youthcreativityfund.ca/] Instagram: _mindful_mirror [https://www.instagram.com/_mindful_mirror/] Camelia website: https://camelianunez.com/ [https://camelianunez.com/] YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GenNextPodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@GenNextPodcast] Instagram: @thegennextpodcast  [https://www.instagram.com/gennextpodcast/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gennext-podcast [https://www.linkedin.com/company/gennext-podcast]

What Happens When Communities Invest in Young People

What if support for your ideas was closer than you think? In this episode of GenNext, Ms. Cam sits down with April Albano, Executive Director of the Business Education Partnership Waterloo Region and champion behind the Youth Creativity Fund, a program helping young people turn ideas into action. Together, they talk about: * Why creativity often gets quieter as we get older * How one supportive adult (or local organization) can change a young person’s path * Why young people don’t need to have it all figured out * How the Youth Creativity Fund gives teens money, mentorship, and community to try bold ideas * Why done is better than perfect This episode is a reminder that you are not alone and there are people, programs, and communities that believe in what you can build. 🚀 Try This Challenge: This week, notice one thing that annoys you in your day. It could be: * something at school * something at home * something in your community * something about how people do things Then spend 5 minutes brainstorming solutions. No judging your ideas. No pressure for it to be perfect. Just practice seeing problems like a builder. That’s where entrepreneurship starts. Links BEP Website: https://www.bepwr.ca/ [https://www.bepwr.ca/] Youth Creativity Fund: https://youthcreativityfund.ca/ [https://youthcreativityfund.ca/] Instagram: @bep_wr Camelia website: https://camelianunez.com/ [https://camelianunez.com/] YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GenNextPodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@GenNextPodcast] Instagram: @thegennextpodcast  [https://www.instagram.com/gennextpodcast/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gennext-podcast [https://www.linkedin.com/company/gennext-podcast]

The Power of Having More Than One Interest | Curious Kids and Bold Teens

What if being interested in many things was actually your advantage? In this episode of GenNext, we talk to Damian—a Grade 12 student who has spent years playing competitive soccer, coaching younger athletes, exploring creativity through drawing and woodworking, and now building a video editing business. At first glance, these might seem like completely different paths. But as Damian shares his story, a clear pattern emerges: the same skills—creativity, discipline, and curiosity—show up across everything he does. From seeing details in architecture most people overlook, to applying creativity on the soccer field, to editing videos and building real projects, Damian is a powerful example of what it looks like to develop range instead of choosing just one lane. This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt unsure because they have too many interests—not too few. We talk about: * How creativity shows up in unexpected places (even in soccer) * What competitive sports can teach you about discipline and consistency * Turning school assignments into real opportunities * Why enjoying what you do matters more than being “perfect” * How different interests can actually connect and strengthen each other * Why you don’t need to choose just one path If you’ve ever felt unsure because you’re interested in too many things… this episode will definitely hit home. 🚀 Try This Challenge: Pay attention to something today that most people would ignore. It could be a building, a video, a design, or even something in your everyday environment. Then ask yourself:  Why was it made this way?  How could it be different? Links Camelia website: https://camelianunez.com/ [https://camelianunez.com/] YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GenNextPodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@GenNextPodcast] Instagram: @thegennextpodcast  [https://www.instagram.com/gennextpodcast/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gennext-podcast [https://www.linkedin.com/company/gennext-podcast]

These Two Teachers are Breaking the Rules of School (In the Best Way) | Curious Kids and Bold Teens

What if school actually prepared you for real life? In this episode of GenNext, we sit down with two grade seven teachers who are doing things differently and getting incredible results. Jennifer Schaefer and Jes Nielson are grade seven teachers at Groh Public School in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada and long-time teaching partners. They share how they’ve moved away from traditional teaching methods to create a more engaging, student-centered learning experience, one rooted in curiosity, collaboration, and real-world problem solving. Instead of memorizing content, their students are solving real community challenges, building empathy through real conversations and creating projects with real impact. This isn’t something nice to have “in theory”. It’s what is happening right now in their classroom. We talk about: * Why traditional lesson planning can hold students back * What “messy learning” actually looks like (and why it works) * How removing tests changes everything * A powerful student-led project supporting newcomers * What the future of education needs to look like If you’ve ever felt like school could be more,  this episode will definitely hit home. 🚀Try This Challenge: For educators: try one small “quarter turn” in your teaching practice this week. Find one interesting provocation (something real, surprising, or thought-provoking) and bring it into your classroom. Put it in front of your students and simply ask: “What do you think about this?” Let them talk. Let them wonder. Let them be curious. Links WRDSB Blog: Students Take the Lead with Design Thinking at Groh Public Schoolhttps://www.wrdsb.ca/blog/2023/10/26/students-take-the-lead-with-design-thinking-at-groh-public-school/ [https://www.wrdsb.ca/blog/2023/10/26/students-take-the-lead-with-design-thinking-at-groh-public-school/] WRDSB Blog: Students Aim to Improve Experiences of Newcomers with Design Thinking https://www.wrdsb.ca/blog/2023/01/04/students-aim-to-improve-experiences-of-newcomers-with-design-thinking/ [https://www.wrdsb.ca/blog/2023/01/04/students-aim-to-improve-experiences-of-newcomers-with-design-thinking/] The Community that Groh Built (Full Version Youtube Video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpefkvsR12c&t=661s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpefkvsR12c&t=661s] Camelia website: https://camelianunez.com/ [https://camelianunez.com/] YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GenNextPodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@GenNextPodcast] Instagram: @thegennextpodcast  [https://www.instagram.com/gennextpodcast/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gennext-podcast [https://www.linkedin.com/company/gennext-podcast]