"I’ve been a fan of The Walking School Bus since its inception. When I completed my Masters in Communications and Environmental Policy, I met with Aaron and asked how I could be more involved with the organization. I was drawn to The Walking School Bus because of its holistic approach to solving a problem. We recognize that a problem does not have one solution but can be tackled from many different fronts. Our projects, initiatives, and opportunities continue to expand and develop, and my role is to make this process more digestible and tangible for our audiences. If this is achieved, we can enhance our reach and continue connecting with people worldwide. Because of the emphasis in diversity in our research and projects, there truly is a place for everyone at The Walking School Bus. I think that on a human level, all people strive for the same thing and in order to motivate collaboration, it's really just a matter of communicating that every individual has the capacity to contribute to something big.”

“The whole idea started when my friend and I went backpacking through Nepal, lndia and Sri Lanka. While trekking in Nepal, the locals drank this vibrant orange coloured juice made out of Seabuckthorn. They depended on this to get their nutritional requirements especially when living in such high altitudes. This inspired us to seek our local health remedies wherever we travelled. In India we fell in love with all of the juice carts, the community that surrounded them and how good we felt after drinking juice everyday. When we got back to Vancouver, we decided to turn this travel passion into a business concept. This idea was born from experiencing and learning from other cultures. Similar to The Walking School Bus, when I travel I want to leave my routine behind and be exposed to new ways of life and new ways of learning.”

“My Mom is a teacher so when I was young I would spend lots of time in the classroom. I always loved the feeling there and ended up pursuing a career in elementary education. I chose this age group because at this time children are so curious. They are always questioning things and everything around them is so exciting. For me, I find it contagious and love being around the energy. This energy has a lot of potential and I want to be there to support it and see how far it can go. This is also the age that the walking school bus interacts with in Uganda and India. The support they receive now is especially important because this is the time their full potential can be unlocked.”

“Education has always been an important part of my life. For any birthday in my family we would always give each other money to put in a special account which was used only for education. Despite all this, I felt demotivated, lost and helpless when I was in university. I found the educational system to be very archaic and show little signs of support leaving many students isolated. I struggled a lot and completely rethought my career path. This is where my drive comes from when working with The Walking School bus on the SiMBi reading program. I want to give these students the satisfaction and motivation that comes when achieving learning goals. SiMBi is the only platform that does this by using the support of a community. The results have been amazing and running this marathon will allow us to strengthen our impact.”

“User experience design is all about focusing on who the user is and designing specifically for them. Most of the design process is focused on understanding and contextualizing the users needs so that the final design will have the most impact. I like this aspect of throwing away your assumptions and letting the users tell you what they need. This is what attracts me to The Walking School Bus. It is an organization based on a human-centred design approach. They have teams on the ground conducting research and reporting on what the best possible solutions can be to supporting communities. It seems like the obvious way to work but The Walking School Bus is a leader in this field and that is what excites me.”

“While in university I studied both electrical engineering and business. After graduation I wanted to find a way to combine the two disciplines so I began a career as a power systems consultant. Eventually, I will return home to Uganda and apply the skills I have learned. I believe that I have a moral obligation to do this and I am indeed excited by the opportunity. Connecting rural communities to the grid allows us to tap into existing energy resources. In addition, there is a chance to learn from past mistakes and ensure that future power systems are more efficient and sustainable. For me it is ultimately about allowing people to take control of their livelihoods. Access to electricity brings many opportunities to choose from hence empowering communities to make their own decisions and decide their own life path.”

“To me, film is one of the most powerful forms of communication. It stimulates all your senses with visuals, audio, storylines, and now immersive experiences. This is why I love it so much. It was not until I went to Uganda with The Walking School Bus when I realized what I want to do with my passion for film. While in Uganda I experienced poverty everywhere and I felt uncomfortable with how easy I had it back home. I think film can be the way to educate and make others aware of the different social issues that exist around us. Now that I am finishing high school I want to study business to set up an organization to help pair filmmakers with social causes. I think this will help educate and bring a momentum for change to these important causes.”

“I come from a family of runners so when I was bored at home over the summer it seemed like the thing to do. I started running when I was 15 and fell in love with it. Now I have completed over 17 half marathons and am addicted. I use running as an escape to release stress, gather my thoughts, and meditate. Any day that I run I feel much better after having fresh air and getting physical activity. I have also realized that it brings me closer to people. Some of my best friends are those who I run with since we talk about everything together. I think most people get intimidated by the thought of training for races but you will be surprised when you can run a half marathon only training once or twice a week. For an organization that is so driven and has such a proven record of success it is the least I can do to help.”

“We first learned about the Walking School Bus when Aaron came to present to our Chesed club. Chesed means loving kindness in Hebrew and is all about giving back to others. We meet every Monday during lunchtime and find ways to give back. Before it was just our class, now it’s so popular there is an interview to join.”

Aila Kushnir (Centre)

“I like the Walking School Bus because they don’t just give money, they are invested and want to see real change happen. They go back and forth to work with the kids in Uganda. They care so much and I want to be a part of it.”

Brody Sewell (Top left)

“I’ve never run a marathon before but I did a 5km fundraising walk. I want to do it and help out. I don’t know how im supposed to run that long but I need to try because it is for a good cause.”

Carsyn Leipsic (Bottom left)

“I don’t know if i’ll be able to run that long, I think that's longer than I have ever walked! Even if I don’t finish I’ll try. I play dodgeball and ski so that might help.”

Cooper Brosgall (Top right)

“I like that the kids in Uganda are getting more opportunities like us. They are developing better knowledge on what the world is like today, eating healthy, and getting to school safely. I want them to be okay. Here, we have so many opportunities and privileges and I want them to have the same.”

Jackson Balin (Bottom right)

“I first heard about The Walking School Bus this past June, and 1 month later I was on a plane to Uganda with the team as an Economics Researcher focused on the chicken coop project. What attracted me to TWSB was the holistic and research-based approach in providing access to education; I wanted to work on a nutrition project to examine the relationship between nutrition and education. An added bonus is the tangible positive impact these coops could have on a student’s day. The chicken coops are run by the school or community and provide eggs for students; this not only provides students with energy and nutrition to learn, it also provides an incentive to attend school. We are also working with talented educators to integrate the coops into the student’s curriculum, teaching agricultural and business skills. During the holiday months when the students don’t have school, eggs are sold to generate the revenue necessary to sustain the chicken coops. I’m excited about the BMO marathon because the money raised will allow us to expand our impact into more communities.”

“I have been through a lot now. I was born with a cardiac condition that required open heart surgery in 2000, got polio when I was 5, got hit by a car when I was 15, and have had 7 major spine surgeries. Despite that, I have finished 63 marathons, completed half in under 2.5 hrs, co-founded The BMO Marathon, Seawall race and The Vancouver Sun Run, went to 8 Olympic Games as a medical officer, and have ran a total of 120,000 miles. In July I think I will retire, but first I need to leave my legacy. I will leave strength, conditioning, and imaging equipment to build a gym and rehab area on the roof of the new Allan McGavin Sports Medicine Centre at UBC. I will use events to raise money, just like the Walking School Bus. I’ve done this before by raising enough money to treat over 120 Ugandan athletes. I think its tremendous to use marathons as a means to fundraise, it is a win win for everyone. There can’t be a better opportunity, and only you can decide to take it.”

“It is my personality that drives me to research.  With research you can’t settle until you reach your long term goal.  You always need to improve, solve something new, or question what already exists.  These drives control me, ask anyone I know, I do not easily give up or surrender, I will lose sleep until I solve my question.  I share these values with The Walking School Bus and that is what attracted me to them in the first place.  They have a very focused goal and are open to any new ideas which advance their undertaking.  They don’t settle but strive for better and improved research to answer their questions.  I suppose everything will intersect at the marathon.  I have never run one before but it is an unknown area with answers waiting to be found.  There we will come together for a single goal and we will solve each step to make it happen.”

"I would probably think the same as anyone else, why did this guy just agree to run a marathon? I'm the kind of guy that says yes and then figures out how to make it work. It comes from my accident that suddenly left me paralyzed. My entire life changed and I was lost. My goal was to do everything I used to, drive, get on the beach, go to concerts, and run. I learned it’s just a matter of adapting and not giving up. I know the marathon is going to be hard but I’m not worried about it, I’m stubborn, if I say I’m doing something, I’m going to do it. My butt will get sore, my arms will be wrecked but I will pound through it.  If things get tough I will remember it’s for the kids in Uganda who cannot access their basic education. Just like no one gave up on me I will support them and help them figure out a way to make it work.”