City of Kitchener, Activa, Groh Public School and MHBC Honoured at the 2025 PlanON Awards

Last week, the Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI) hosted the 2025 PlanON Awards, recognizing outstanding contributions to the planning profession across Ontario. Among this year’s honourees was a remarkable collaboration between Activa, Groh Public School, MHBC Planning Urban Design & Landscape Architecture and the City of Kitchener, who were recognized for an innovative initiative that provided an educational opportunity for young people to participate in community engagement which received the Public Education Award.

Find out more here: 2025 PlanON Award Winner Profiles | OPPI

Entitled “Empowering the Future”, this six-month initiative invited Grade 7 students to reimagine Activa’s Harvest Park community in Doon South, supported by professionals in planning, architecture, placemaking, and sustainability. Students developed full community concepts, complete with budgets, sustainability strategies and placemaking elements. They then presented their visionary ideas to Kitchener city council.

The program took place across multiple locations, including classrooms at Groh Public School, Activa’s model home, the Harvest Park site and Kitchener City Hall. It was designed to inspire and empower the next generation of community leaders.

At the award ceremony, attendees found it rewarding to spend time with the inspiring teachers at the center of this initiative who continue to explore ways to expose their students to learning opportunities beyond the traditional classroom. The students challenged themselves in new ways and had the opportunity to learn about city-building and how they can play a role either as engaged residents or potentially as future professionals.

This initiative was recognized for its novel approach to education and community building, and for demonstrating the value of collaboration between industry, schools and municipal government.

Congratulations to all involved for setting a new standard in youth engagement in community planning.