Social Innovation and Community Development Student Teddy Lands Earns Lieutenant Governor’s Award

Teddy Lands crossed the stage at RRC Polytech’s Spring 2026 Convocation as one of three recipients of the Lieutenant Governor’s Award.

For Lands, though, recognition was never the goal.

When Lands received the call advising they’d been selected for the award, they hadn’t realized how prestigious it was. The award, however, affirmed a dedication to community service that started over thirty years ago.

They began volunteering as a teenager while receiving care at the Manitoba Adolescent Treatment Centre (MATC) in the 1990s. There they participated in youth leadership and fundraising activities while recovering from mental health challenges. After leaving treatment, Lands became a student at Children of the Earth High School with the encouragement of their parents, who were also pursuing their own journeys in sobriety.

“Volunteering gave me a purpose,” said Lands. “In woodworking class, we made toy trains for the Christmas Cheer Board. One year, we did hampers and I recognized those boxes. It’s those little seeds that I recognized from my childhood… Growing up as a poor brown kid in Winnipeg in the ‘80s and ‘90s was tough, but I allowed those seeds to grow and I continued volunteering as an adult.”

They immersed themself in volunteering through the student council while at Children of the Earth. At the same time, though, they found themself struggling again and later were re-admitted to MATC.

Looking back, Lands says part of their struggle stemmed from the cultural shock they felt trying to understand their Indigenous identity in Winnipeg’s landscape during the 90s. Lands returned to volunteering regularly after they were discharged from MATC and they went on to volunteer at the Health Sciences Centre, the Women’s Hospital, Nine Circles Community Health Centre, Siloam Mission, the Manitoba FASD Coalition, Trans Manitoba, and many others.

“Everything came from figuring out who I am because I walk in two worlds,” said Lands. “I walked and lived in the western world for so long, and I wanted to walk in the world I was born into as an Indigenous person. I didn’t want to lose pieces of myself… Volunteering gave me back some of those pieces. It always felt so good to be part of something outside of myself.”

After earning their General Educational Development in 1999, Lands enrolled at RRC Polytech as a young parent in 2002 where they began in the College Preparation for Aboriginal Students program before pursuing studies in social work. However, a series of significant personal responsibilities put their education on hold and after navigating those challenges, Lands continued their post-secondary journey at the University of Manitoba. They graduated with a diploma in Aboriginal Child and Family Services in 2005.

Lands’ returned to RRC Polytech after many years of sobriety and reflection on the next chapter in their life. While helping their daughter explore post-secondary options in 2018, they enrolled in Creative Communications (CreComm) with an interest in public relations. They enjoyed the program, but balancing online studies and health challenges with family responsibilities during the pandemic was difficult.

They pivoted again after spending more time in Indigenous spaces on campus, and they met students from the Social Innovation and Community Development (SICD) program. These conversations introduced Lands to a path that felt like a natural extension of the community work they did for years, so they made the switch.

Today, their studies in SICD have bloomed into a media business venture through Indigenous Social Entrepreneurship. This fall, they plan to register the name of their business with the Companies Office in Manitoba and continue their education in the Community Development stream.

“I’ve got big goals for myself,” said Lands. “I didn’t think I’d make it this far in life, but it’s because of all those little seeds from when I was a kid that led me up to this point.”

As they prepare for the next phase of their education and building their career, Lands remains focused on creating opportunities by offering their time to others. For someone whose journey began with volunteering, curiosity, and a desire to grow, receiving the Lieutenant Governor’s Award feels less like a destination and more like another step forward – less like the fruits of their work and more like another seed to plant.