East and West Learning Connections (EAWLC) is run by volunteers. Without their talents, commitment, and hard work, all the programs we have offered to the public just cannot possibly come into reality. Every year at our Annual General Meeting, our Board chooses a number of winners to receive the EAWLC Outstanding Service Awards based on time commitment, task impact, and organization involvement in the previous year.
The award does not apply to board directors, advisors, or guest speakers, even though they are also volunteers to whom we are deeply grateful for their help. Each year there will be friends generously donating some cool items so we can give the winners as a gift. The winners are the representatives of all EAWLC volunteers who all come to help us with a giving heart for the community.
Thank you so much, members, volunteers, and donors, for your great support and contributions!
2026 EAWLC Outstanding Service Award winners
Yanru Zhang (Mary)
Mary devotes her logical thinking, expertise in finance, and details-oriented skills to the volunteer work she passionately does for the EAWLC. She worked with board directors to wrote grant proposals, and assisted with finance tasks.
Everything she does, she does it in a reliable, proactive and well-managed way.
Nan Jiang (Ginger)
For two consecutive years, Ginger has helped with the planning of our Spring Festival Celebration. From restaurant selection and negotiation to gift and decoration ideas and purchases, Ginger worked closely with the director of the celebration, and her taste and execution skills helped a lot. Despite a busy family life with two young children to take care of, Ginger contributes her time and knowledge as much as possible whenever asked for by the organization.
Joy Gao
In 2025 we facilitated a dialogue with The New yorker journalist and award-winning author Peter Hessler. It was so far our most attended online event with around 200 audience. Collaborated with Peter, we did a fundraiser for the EAWLC as well as to support the author by selling signed copies of his books among audience living in both Canada and the US. Joy was the soul of this project across the borders. As an avid reader and a valuable member of our Social Reading Club, Joy first recommended a list of Peter’s books for the project with her insightful reviews, then took on the tedious tasks, including tallying and placing orders, receiving signed books from Peter, arranging domestic and international deliveries, and reporting financials to execute the project. Along the way, Joy tackled unexpected issues such as order changes and defected shipments with great patience and commitment. Every copy finally safely arriving in the hands of our audience was a kudo to Joy!
Aihua Yang (Melody)
In 2025 we organized our biggest in-person event, the lecture by Prof. Po-Shen Loh, former national coach of the USA Math Olympiad team. Around 100 students and their parents came to the inspiring lecture. It involved lots of planning and logistics behind the scene. Melody was the key volunteer who helped organize the event, especially with the logistics. From searching for suitable and affordable hosting venues, going in person to different places and sending reports to the board, finalizing with contract, to helping out on the day, Melody’s ability and dedication contributed greatly to the success of the event.
She also brought her children to EAWLC events, and encouraged them to do volunteer work for the organization. Her daughter just joined us as a member!
Special Award
Decade of Dedication Award Winner: Eric JT Liu
2026 marks our 10 th anniversary. Eric has been a member and volunteer since Day One, and witnessed the EAWLC goes from a grass-roots club into a federally registered not-for-profit organization. The organization, in turn, has witnessed Eric grows up from a high school to a university student then a young entrepreneur. He has always been a responsible and reliable helper. In early days he was a co-organizer, doing all sorts of volunteer work, such as greeting and leading ways for participants, buying food and supplies for events, taking meeting minutes, and managing website. After he went off to university his involvement became less; however, he was still a go-to person when a hand was urgently needed. Now he continues to get involved as much as possible, helping with events when he’s in town and actively responding to our fundraising calls.
We truly appreciate Eric’s contribution to the beginning years of our organization, and his heart-felt, continuous dedication to this community initiative!
Prizes for 2026 winners
A decoration gift set donated by Annie & Michael Raines, Founders of Raines Design .
A ticket to one of the Jazz event series of 2026 donated by retired corporate lawyer Peter Thurton who invites renowned Jazz musicians around the world to Toronto and do presentations/performances in an intimate home setting.
An author-signed copy of The Last Testament of Oscar Wilde (Chinese version) by Peter Ackroyd donated by translator Berlin Fang (微信号：fangberlingz）)
Bamboo Lego Botanicals donated by CBC Music executive producer Kai Black who won the Lego set in the silent auction at 2026 EAWLC Spring Festival Celebration which was in turn donated by Ellen Meng.
A lifetime membership offered by East and West Learning Connections plus 2 tickets to 2026 Mulan International Film Festival donated by the Festival Committee.