🌟 Meet the ELPP Youth Steering Committee: Leadership Team 🌟

Behind every successful initiative is a group of passionate leaders dedicated to creating meaningful change. At the Emerging Leaders Placement Project, our Youth Steering Committee Leadership Team plays a vital role in shaping programs, amplifying youth voices, and fostering opportunities for young leaders across Canada. We're excited to introduce four inspiring members of our leadership team—Emma-Leigh Johnston, Tianne Nan, Elia Marku and Lillian Currie. Each brings unique experiences, perspectives, and a shared commitment to empowering youth, strengthening communities, and inspiring the next generation of leaders.

Emma-Leigh Johnston

I am a Mohawk youth advocate and Health Sciences student going into my second year at Trent University. I am currently the Founder and Lead of The Circle of C’s Project, a youth-led initiative focused on Culture, Community, and Connection through Indigenous workshops. I also work with Children’s Mental Health Services as a Lead Youth Development Coordinator, Board Director, and Co-Lead of their Youth Steering Committee. Through my work with various advisory spaces such as Kids Help Phone, I care deeply about Indigenous representation, mental health, and helping young people feel proud of who they are. Having been with the Youth Steering Committee since it began over a year ago, I’m so excited to step into the Chair role and continue supporting youth leadership across Turtle Island!

To me, volunteering means: Giving back the opportunities, support, and encouragement I’ve been lucky to receive, while helping create spaces where youth feel included,  represented, and empowered.

Tianne Nan

I am an incoming Grade 11 student based in the GTA, Ontario! I love getting involved in my community to make a difference, whether that’s through volunteering, or simply providing support whenever needed. I am a certified National Lifeguard who loves listening and playing music, and also debating competitively during free time! I also enjoy reading my favourite novels, and go on long walks in nature. I have a strong interest in healthcare and medicine, where I had amazing opportunities to work in labs, mentorship at hospitals, and research projects! I hope to be a clinician-scientist or a pediatrician as a long-term career goal. I am excited to continue to work with WIL and like-minded individuals to promote a more inclusive community all across Canada!

To me, volunteering means: Showing up for my community, and leaving it brighter than how I found it. It is about giving without expecting anything in return, and that itself is very  rewarding and fulfilling to me. 

Elia Marku

I’m a Grade 12 student and dedicated member of the Youth Steering Committee. My passions include writing, human rights advocacy, and international relations, and I believe in the power of youth to shape society and inspire change. I love being involved in my school community through student government, event committees, and initiatives like Relay for Life. This year, I was appointed Community Liaison of Student Council and elected Grade 12 Representative for the upcoming school year. Outside of school, I volunteer at my local public library as a teen ambassador. Writing and reading are two of my favourite things, and I hope to use them alongside leadership and advocacy to create meaningful change in my community and society as a whole.

To me, volunteering means: Using my voice to support my community, because I believe in the power of youth to shape society and inspire 

meaningful change.

Lillian Currie

I am a Grade 10 student and proud member of the Youth Steering Committee since December 2025. I’m passionate about leadership, criminal justice, journalism, and gender equality, and I believe youth voices have the power to create real change. I love getting involved in my community through volunteering, advocacy, and creative projects. As a Youth Council Member with Harmony Movement, I helped expand the Words Matter campaign nationally, amplifying conversations around inclusion and respect in schools across Canada. I’m also a guest writer for The 44 North, where I have two published journalistic and storytelling pieces. Outside of my volunteer and advocacy work, I enjoy dance, writing, and spending time with animals. I’m excited to bring my creativity and passion for equality to this team.

To me, volunteering means: Using my creativity and passion for advocacy to support my community, amplify youth voices, and help create spaces where everyone feels included and respected.