"I have lived all my life in Scarborough, the place I call home. As a youth, I volunteered at the Scarborough Hospital, participated in St. John Ambulance Brigade, and chaired the Scarborough Youth Council. I love our community and the people in it, and together, we can work to make a positive difference."—Shaun Chen

About Shaun

Named by Maclean's Magazine as one of "100 young Canadians to watch," Shaun Chen is a prolific community leader who has articulated with passion the voices of his generation. A lifelong advocate for children and youth and an outspoken proponent of equity and education, Shaun was first elected to the Toronto District School Board in 2006 as Trustee for Scarborough-Rouge River.

In 2008, Shaun was elected Alternate Enrolment Vice President and Director of the Ontario Public School Boards' Association, which represents public school boards across the province serving over 1.3 million students. He also sat on the Children's Services Advisory Committee, helping to support a multi-year strategy to expand the City of Toronto child care system.

Shaun has a received a myriad of community honours including Toronto's Commitment to Diverse-City Award, Herbert H. Carnegie Future Aces Citizenship Award, and an award citation in youth services from Scarborough Community Council. In 1999, he was awarded the Ontario Medal for Young Volunteers.

Growing up in Scarborough, Shaun attended public schools Brookmill Boulevard Jr PS, Sir Ernest MacMillan Sr PS, and Sir John A. Macdonald CI, where he graduated as "Best Boy" in 1999. He went on to the University of Toronto, earning his BSc in computer science and MA in education.

Shaun is currently a PhD student in the Department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education at OISE of the University of Toronto.