In a world of constant change, innovation is the key to success. It makes the impossible possible and inspires us to dream big and defy the odds. When we think of our own nation, Canadians have made enormous contributions to our country and our world. But innovation is more pervasive in our daily lives than most people realise.

Celebrating Canadian Innovation with the Rideau Hall Foundation

Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation (CST) is partnering with the Rideau Hall Foundation (RHF) to celebrate Canadian innovation and to tell the stories of successful Canadian innovators and students who are showing resilience, providing hope and making successful positive impacts as we prepare for a future of unknowns.

This partnership celebrates the achievements of past CST Graduate Award recipients, who are following in the footsteps of Governor General’s Innovation Award laureates, in which the RHF is a managing partner. Focused on using innovation for social good, we call this group Inspired Innovators.

Why Innovation Matters

Imagine what life would be like without the ability to communicate through language, without the use of critical thinking or without being able to navigate a global health crisis or any of society’s most pressing issues. Fostering a culture of innovation means making a choice every day to push the envelope of understanding, biases and beliefs. We live in a world where learning and innovation go hand in hand, and when we give ourselves the freedom to innovate, amazing things can happen.

Having an innovative mindset is critical. Today’s students will need to be prepared for rapid innovation in an evolving world. While younger Canadians are more confident with technology and digital literacy, innovation isn’t a main learning topic in schools. Today’s educators will need to provide the generation of tomorrow with the right skills to become great innovators and global citizens. Those 21st century skills include creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, citizenship, communication, and character.

Amplifying the Work of Inspired Innovators

During Canadian Innovation Week on November 16 – 20, CST will highlight how these Inspired Innovators are navigating an ever-changing world across various disciplines and industries. A video series will be shared on social, through this site and through Rideau Hall Foundation’s Canadian Innovation Space, an online innovation hub that strives to build a stronger, more resilient culture of innovation in Canada.

For those seeking educational materials focused on innovation, the Education for Innovation resources (E4I) are free, bilingual, K-12 lesson plans that can be adjusted to align with K-12 provincial curricula. The E4I resources introduce students to inspiring Canadian innovations and guide learners through the four phases of the Innovation Cycle in the classroom and through distance learning. Students are inspired to inquire, ideate, incubate, and implement their innovations to make an Impact.

This blog post is one in a series of Inspired Innovator blogs, through Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation’s partnership with the Rideau Hall Foundation. We hope you’ll follow along as we share more about the Inspired Innovators and the 21st century skills they’re using to succeed in today’s rapidly evolving world. Tune in to our social channels @CSTConsultants and @cstspark or follow along at @RideauHallFdn and @Cdn_Innovation for more innovation news.