The E3 Challenge was established in 2005 to fulfill Power Unit Youth Organization’s mission to promote entrepreneurship, empowerment, and excellence among the youth. Since then, it has offered youths hands-on opportunities to develop their skills and inspired them to take on active roles in their communities. The E3 Challenge, emphasizing teamwork and leadership skills, consists of three challenges in which youth work together and compete in teams.
Join Now!Community and corporate partners give the teams a real problem to solve.
Participants will have the opportunity to attend special workshops and networking events.
There will only be one team that comes out victorious!
Each year, passionate youth of Power Unit Youth Organization vote on a charitable initiative to support throughout the year. All on-site proceeds go towards a selected beneficiary charity. To date, Night It Up! and Power Unit Youth Organization has contributed over $113,000 to various charitable initiatives in the GTA. This year, we have partnered with ALS Double Play. Stay tuned for beneficiary activations and how you can help.
Chairperson
I have been with The E3 Challenge for a total of 3 years now, and every year, an aspect of the challenge amazes me. It is truly an amazing program where students of every age can come together and develop amazing new friendships and skills. I am truly “WOW’d”.
Promotions Director
With this being my third year with E3, I can say full heartedly I learned so much with each passing year, from being a participant to an organizer. It’s an amazing opportunity to meet new people and I would definitely recommend E3 to anyone!
Event Partnership Director
This is my second year with The E3 Challenge, and I can’t wait for the amazing learning opportunities to come! It provides such a unique chance to gain insightful experiences in a supportive team environment. A genuinely great place to develop new bonds and skills.
Recruitment Director
Last summer was my first year being apart of The E3 challenge, and it was definitely an unforgettable experience. E3 made my summer not only an incredible learning experience, but also a fun one. E3 is the perfect way to spend your summer if you want to have a good time while learning.
Recruitment Director
After dedicating 2 months to The E3 challenge last summer, I can say that this experience have allowed me to meet new people and do things out of my comfort zone. The challenges that await you in E3 are exhilarating and the experience will definitely be unforgettable.
Project Accountant
I have been involved with The E3 Challenge for the past 3 years, and it truly amazes me how much the competitors learn and develop their skills in a matter of less than 2 months. I would recommend The E3 Challenge to anyone regardless of what kind of career they are pursuing.
Communications Coordinator
Having been a participant in The E3 Challenge, the experience was like no other! From the new friendships made, to the valuable skills you develop, this is a great opportunity for everyone! Regardless of what field you want to go into, it is surely beneficial for all.
Participants worked with Tangerine’s Client Experience team to educate Canadians about financial literacy.
Participants worked with Telus Marketing team to create viral marketing campaigns targeting youth.
Participants created social media recruitment campaigns to attract young and qualified potential employees.
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Team Victorious Secret
Participating in E3 really opened up my eyes and gave me a chance to explore the many facets of business first hand by working with industry professionals. I was able to develop and strengthen myself in many areas from formal business writing, to time management. The support from the mentors and organizers and overall positive vibe further fostered my entrepreneurial spirit and gave me a summer I surely will never forget.
Team Goal Getters
When signing up for this challenge, I had no idea what I was walking into. Was it going to be scary? Difficult? Or even both? In fact, it was. Although, it was also a lot of fun! You get to meet a bunch of new people, go through different experiences, and learn in a way that cannot be compared to just any classroom setting. The three challenges test your skills, and really allow you to expand out of your comfort zone. Creating new ideas and tackling real issues that companies deal with on a day-to-day basis – now that is not an opportunity that is offered everyday.
Team Up All Night
Overall E3 was a great experience that was well worth it despite living all the way in Mississauga. The challenges were great in allowing me to build practical professional skills while also fostering close relationships with my teammates. It was an amazing summer that I hope to experience again!
Team Designated Drivers - Peer Advisor
I truly enjoyed my experience as a Peer Advisor and have developed mentorship skills while learning a lot from interacting with the competitors. It felt great to contribute my knowledge and experience to help my team in completing the challenges and to guide them develop their critical thinking and communication skills.
Team Up All Night - Peer Advisor
I competed in The E3 Challenge in 2010, was Chairperson from 2011-2013, and then returned as a peer advisor in 2015. I always find myself coming back because I firmly believe in what The E3 Challenge values and I always learn something new. Looking back on my time as a participant, the coaching I got from my mentor and peer advisors helped me grow as a leader, made me a better communicator, and taught me important lessons in humility and putting things into perspective.
Team #Disruptive - Peer Advisor
I had a lot fun during my experience as a Peer Advisor. The moments we shared together as a team were truly unforgettable! As a former participant alumni, I was given a chance to offer my expertise to help guide the team along with my other PA. Personally, I greatly developed my mentorship skills and even learned a lot from my own participants so it was definitely a great experience.
Team KEJ - Mentor
As an E3 Mentor, I was pleasantly reminded of the creativity and resourcefulness of which young individuals are capable. Some of my participants impressed me with their ambition and leadership potential. Others impressed me with their efficiency and project management skills. All of them impressed me with their courage to overcome their weaknesses and fears as they became more confident in themselves. My team won the 2013 E3 Challenge, but win or lose, I could not be more proud of their development as individuals and as a team. Three of my participants have immediately moved on to take important leadership roles in the E3 Challenge organizing team or other areas of PUYO. The experience was equally rewarding for me, as I had the opportunity to work with other strong mentors and a pair of very dedicated peer advisors who care greatly about youth development.
Team C.L.E.A.R. - Mentor
The Mentor experience, I loved it! My team is Team C.L.E.A.R – CLEARLY incredible, the winning team of the 2014 challenge. I had so much fun with them in the six weeks that we spent together! The time we spent together, conversations we had, the personal experiences gained, knowing that they are all on their journey to success in the future from The E3 challenge gives me joy. No matter where everyone is now, I am sure they will have gained an experience or two in life, and these are the most valuable relationships that have been gained, developed, happiness shared, that words cannot simply describe. Not only were the Participants motivated, hardworking, united, exquisite, creative, and most of all, beautiful inside out, but the Peer Advisors were also jolly ecstatically driven.
Team Kryptamite - Mentor
As a mentor, you are given the chance to have an impact on the growth of your mentees. You are able to share your experience and knowledge with them. When taking a close look at their behaviours, you also take the time to look back at your own. Not only is it a development opportunity for your mentees, it is also one for yourself. You look back at how you communicate with them; discovering what is the most effective way to get your message across and get your team to see you point. It is also a chance for you to develop your EQ, as sympathy and understanding play an important role when trying to push them forward. Finally, you have a chance to take part in the amazing challenges that your team is on. Frankly, I wish that I had the opportunities presented to them when I was their age!
Working with the E3 committee was such a wonderful experience for Tangerine -- we got exposed to new ideas, new ways of thinking, and were reminded of how powerful, capable and innovative the next generation already is. A breath of fresh air for any large organization. - Michelle from Tangerine
The expectations at our company were relatively low – we did not expect much to come out of a competition of students during the summer months. Not only were our expectations proven to be wrong, but the ideas espoused at the competition were absolutely fantastic. It was evident that a great deal of hard work and thought that was put into the challenge we provided. Indeed, it was these presentations that made us consider hiring a team or two in order to help us on some of our projects. Overall, we could not have been more grateful and thrilled to participate in The E3 challenge. - Steven from Flybits
On behalf of the TELUS team, I had a great time working with the E3 organizing primes and student teams. We were very impressed by the detailed marketing strategies that the teams developed under tight timelines and the level of professionalism showcased during the challenge presentations. Not only did the students highlight new marketing insights that we will incorporate into future campaigns, but it was also very rewarding to see the students develop their marketing skills during the challenge. Congrats and a job well done to all the E3 teams! - Ashley from Telus
