Melanie Stewart is Executive Director of Serve!. Her involvement with the organization spans over a decade, starting with being a youth participant in the Experience This! program at Serve! (then Serve Canada) back in 1996.

Melanie’s experience as a youth participant had a profound impact on her, and after completing the program, she continued to work with Serve! working first as a Team Facilitator, and then as Program Manager, before becoming Executive Director in 2002. During her time with Serve!, Melanie has overseen the development of Serve’s summer program, Serve Up The Summer, and expansion of Serve! into communities outside Toronto including Hamilton.

“Serve! exists because youth matter and youth can make a difference,” says Melanie. “We offer youth the opportunity to build confidence, leadership skills and experience through community engagement. It changed my life and I’ve seen it change the lives of others.”

Melanie grew up in Newmarket, Ontario and attended Trent University, where she holds a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Canadian Studies and Hispanic Studies. She also studied for a year in Granada, Spain. She is currently working on a postgraduate diploma in Non-Profit and Voluntary Sector Management through Ryerson University, and is a member of the Board of Directors of ArtHeart, a community arts centre in Toronto.