Maxwell Li Memorial Award

Maxwell Li was a Grade 11 student at Lillian Osborne High School who passed away at the age of 16.  He volunteered thousands of hours at his school, Edmonton’s Food Bank, and ChinaTown cleanup, as well as for the Alberta 2023 election.

Maxwell was captain of the Lillian Osborne junior volleyball team and won the city championship for his school. He was a student council representative in grades 10 and 11, an Edmonton Public Schools student senator and a member of the City of Edmonton Youth Council. 

Maxwell was honoured with a Division Recognition of Service award in 2022. He was known for his passion, humour, knowledge and admirable character who brought happiness and love to his family, school and community.

Although Maxwell’s life was short, he strived to live an extraordinary and unforgettable one. He is not only the pride of his family, but also a legend to the school and the youth community in Edmonton.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this award is to recognize grade 11 and 12 students in Edmonton Public Schools who have a passion for leadership and an unwavering commitment to helping others and society by striving to give back to their school and community through volunteer and leadership opportunities.  

AWARD AMOUNT: Two awards of $500

CRITERIA

An applicant must:

• be registered at an Edmonton Public Schools high school and be enrolled in Grade 11 or 12
• maintain academic standing that would enable them to participate in post-secondary education
• demonstrate evidence of inspiring others by bringing people together to create positive change
• demonstrate the positive impact their leadership has on their peers, school and community
• demonstrate that the award would be meaningful to them personally

The school principal will be asked to:

• support the student’s application for this award
• verify the student maintains an academic standing that would enable them to participate in post-secondary education
• explain what makes the student a worthy recipient of this award

Application process

GET READY TO APPLY 

Before completing the application form, the applicant must: 

• get a signed letter of reference from an Edmonton Public Schools staff member.
• get a signed letter of reference from a peer or non-family community member.
• create a maximum three-minute video or write a maximum 500-word personal essay that describes how they inspire others to create positive change, the positive impact their leadership has on their peers, school and community, and what the award would mean to them.

Application process

Applications for the 2024-25 award will open in February 2025.

SELECTION PROCESS

The selection team will rank each submission on the applicant's demonstration of:

• bringing people together to create positive change
• the positive impact the applicant’s leadership has on peers, school and community
• what the award would mean for the applicant

The recipient will be contacted in June.