Parachute’s Youth Ambassador projects highlight the commitment of young leaders to enhance road safety in Canadian communities.
Through partnerships with local organizations, schools and law enforcement, each initiative addresses key issues such as promoting safe driving, bicycle and pedestrian awareness, and impaired driving prevention. By engaging peers and community members in educational campaigns and activities, these youth are fostering a culture of safety and positive change across Canada.
2025-26 Ambassador projects
In 2025-26, Parachute has awarded grants of $1,000, plus our support and mentoring, for 15 Ambassador projects. Here are some examples.
Cannabis impaired driving education in schools
(Trout River, N.L.)
Ambassador: Daniel Langdon
Collaborating with students, school administrators, Western Health and the RCMP, this project aims to promote road safety among students at Jakeman All Grade School. Students will participate in presentations on the legal implications of driving motorized vehicles while under the influence of cannabis and how cannabis impacts their decision-making abilities and other skills that are important for driving. Students will also participate in a road safety poster competition to promote awareness of road safety issues within their community.
Using technology to reduce driver speed
(Dartmouth, N.S.)
Ambassadors: Bianca Marzan and Eniola Oyenola
This project aims to develop a low-cost, Arduino-based speed detection system to promote road safety in communities with limited access to advanced traffic monitoring infrastructure. By simulating real-world speed detection using affordable microcontrollers and sensors, the ambassadors seek to demonstrate how technology can be leveraged to identify speeding vehicles and encourage safe driving behaviour.
Safe Streets, Smart Mobility
(Dartmouth, N.S.)
Ambassador: Avery Cote
Safe Streets, Smart Mobility is a community initiative focused on improving road safety in Halifax through an accessibility lens. Through a series of youth-led engagement sessions, the project will bring together residents, accessibility advocates and local organizations to identify and address mobility challenges and safety gaps within the community. By combining community expertise with forward-looking mobility innovation, the project aims to create safer and more inclusive streets for all.
Eyes Up Belleville: No Distraction is Safe
(Belleville, Ont.)
Ambassadors: Anastasiya Stackaruk and Madison Woolley
In partnership with the Children’s Safety Village in Belleville, Eyes Up Belleville: No Distraction is Safe is a youth-led road safety initiative that aims to prevent distracted driving by equipping youth with practical strategies to build safe habits behind the wheel. The project will include a social media campaign, positive ticketing blitz and outreach to local schools.
Enhancing cycling safety and accessibility
(Toronto, Ont.)
Ambassadors: Andrew Harb and Tyler May
Through this project, Ambassadors will develop an app that aims to support cyclists of all experience levels and improve cyclist safety in Toronto. The app will allow users to report and view hazards reported by others, helping them stay aware of potential dangers along their route. The project also aims to use data to support evidence-based policy change.
Improving road safety knowledge among South Asian youth
(Toronto, Ont.)
Ambassadors: Araniya Selvarajah and Zunaira Fauzan
This project aims to support South Asian women and girls who face barriers to independent mobility through delivering beginner workshops on basic driving and cycling safety tips and to help participants feel confident on the road. Through community storytelling and culturally informed outreach, the goal of the project is to promote safety and empower South Asian women to move through their communities on their own terms.
Improving accessibility for individuals who have experienced vision loss
(Mississauga, Ont.)
Ambassador: Jeea Thakker
This project explores how accessible technology such as real-time auditory alerts, simplified guidance and voice-based cues can support safer travel through intersections, sidewalks and community spaces for individuals who have experienced vision loss. Drawing on insights from people with lived experience, the project aims to create a functional navigation app that enhances mobility, increases confidence and encourages more inclusive approaches to road and urban design.
Improving e-scooter safety through education
(Oakville, Ont.)
Ambassadors: Ahana Virmani, Caitlyn Stepanek, Christopher Law
Supported by the Ontario Safety League, this project aims to reduce e-scooter injuries, promote safe riding habits and create youth-friendly streets by delivering workshops, hosting community pop-ups and a social media campaign. Local youth will also be surveyed on their experiences with e-scooters to inform future public policy that reflects youth voices.
Identifying and addressing gaps in road safety infrastructure
(Guelph, Ont.)
Ambassador: Jananey Rajagopalan
This project will document safety hazards along Paisley Road in Guelph, where recent collisions highlight safety risks for pedestrians and cyclists. Through spatial mapping, visual documentation and analysis of pedestrian routes, the project will identify infrastructure gaps. Working with community partners, the project will develop clear evidence and visualizations to advocate for crosswalk installations, traffic-calming measures and safer school-zone design.
Safe Steps
(Montreal, Que.)
Ambassadors: Celine Zhang, Chloe Labelle, Daniel Chen, Noelia Hermida Castillo, Yasmine Ben Arous, Zi Ning Wang
The Safe Steps project aims to improve road safety in Montreal through youth-led advocacy, data and design. The team will collect and map real experiences of unsafe intersections using student surveys and digital tools, then create before-and-after visuals showing safer bike lanes, crosswalks, curb extensions and traffic-calming measures.
Cyclist safety education using virtual reality
(Calgary, Alta.)
Ambassador: Daniyaal Qureshi
Partnered with Coded Minds Canada, this project aims to promote cyclist safety by educating Kindergarten to Grade 4 kids in Calgary on bike safety through an interactive format. The project will use virtual reality, allowing kids to put what they learned to use in safe real-world scenarios.
Speed reduction and school zone safety
(Edmonton, Alta.)
Ambassadors: Brandon Kwon, Chelsea Kwon, Hajin Kim
This youth-led project seeks to assess and compare near-miss incidents and speed compliance across several Edmonton school zones, including Dr. Anne Anderson High School. Using on-site observations and student-reported surveys, the project aims to identify where safety concerns occur most frequently. Results will be shared with school administration and the City of Edmonton to support discussions on creating safer roads for students and all road users.
Road safety workshops for schools in Greater Victoria
(Surrey, B.C.)
Ambassador: Gurleen Deol, Gurnoor Meetkay, Jia Shergill, Sahib Maan, Tanvi Shergill
This project focuses on promoting road-safety awareness and behaviour change through youth-led workshops and a poster competition for high school and elementary school students on pedestrian, bicycle, and safe driving habits. The project will also advocate to create a safer community by engaging families through door-to-door outreach and spreading awareness to local media outlets to create safer streets.
Road safety education for schools in Greater Victoria
(Victoria, B.C.)
Ambassador: Felix Townsin
In collaboration with A Million Acts of Love Foundation, this project seeks to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety by providing students in Greater Victoria with reflective accessories and easy safety tips that help students stay seen and stay safe.
Promoting road safety among kids through stop-motion animation
(Houston, B.C.)
Ambassador: Chael Hestad
This project aims to creatively teach kids in Houston how to stay safe when walking, biking and scootering. Using stop-motion animation videos of real places in Houston, including school crosswalks, a busy highway/rail crossing and bus lanes, kids will learn safe and unsafe practices when it comes to crossing the road and traveling near railways.
