Thousands of UGDSB students in grades 5 to 8 will gather on May 8, 2025 for a powerful day of inspiration and excitement at this year’s Empowerment Day.
Empowerment Day was originally initiated and developed by two students from Drayton Heights Public School in 2014. Elora Public School's 'Students Create Change' group has decided to continue this annual event, hosting world-renowned motivational speakers, presenters, and performers to share inspiring messages on topics relevant to students today.
Everyone has mountains to climb and peaks to reach, and that’s why this year’s motto for Empowerment Day is “Push Beyond”. Through this experience, the goal is to show students within the UGDSB that they can make a positive difference in their communities, and beyond.
Special guests this year include:
Christine Sinclair - BC-born soccer icon Christine Sinclair is the “greatest goal scorer in the history of international soccer”, scoring more goals than any other man or woman in the game.
George Kourounis - Storm chaser and global explorer, George Kourounis documents his adventures through amazing photographs online. He’s also the topic of the TV series Angry Planet.
Dwayne Morgan - Called 'The Godfather' of Canadian Spoken Word poetry, Dwayne Morgan is the producer of the Toronto International Poetry Slam and a recipient of the Order of Ontario.
Chris Koch - Despite being born without arms and legs, Chris Koch has gone on to become an truly inspirational speaker, bringing his “If I can” message to audiences around the world.
Blake Fly - Along with being a 9x TEDX speaker, Blake Fly has delivered his relationship-building methods to the likes of Microsoft, Lululemon, LinkedIn, and Purdue University.
Event Details:
Date: Thursday May 8, 2025
Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: Sleeman Centre, 50 Woolwich St, Guelph
We'd like to thank our Impact sponsor, Skyline, and our Legacy Partners, Optimist Clubs, and Kat Florence for their incredible support. We couldn't do this day without them.
Media are invited to attend. Interviews with staff and students involved in organizing Empowerment Day can be arranged.
Featured photo from the 2018 Empowerment Day at the Sleeman Centre.