CPA Ontario
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Thought Leadership, Research & CPA Spotlights

CPA Ontario Write to Ignite

Write to Ignite is an annual competition that provides members of our High School Ambassador Program (HAP) a chance to win the top prize of $750 plus a $75 Indigo e-gift card for their teacher and a plaque for their class. This competition is designed to offer students a taste of the business world through the lens of a CPA, where slideshows are a fundamental tool used to communicate ideas in today's work setting. Show us your opinions and creative side in this competition!

2023-2024 theme: Balancing profit with purpose: How can businesses meet Corporate Social Responsibility demands, while staying profitable?

The central idea of this year's theme is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), which involves businesses choosing to incorporate social and environmental efforts into their operations to make a positive impact on society. Students are encouraged to explore how businesses can have a beneficial influence on the broader community by taking into account the environmental and social consequences of their choices, all while maintaining their financial goals.

For this assignment, you are asked to create an opinion-based slideshow presentation (8 slides maximum) that demonstrates how a specific business can meet its CSR demands while staying profitable. The presentation must be supported by research and analysis that is appropriately referenced.

Submissions accepted from October 2, 2023, to February 20, 2024.

Prizes

Teacher random draw prize: $100 Indigo e-gift card

For every entry submitted by a student, their teacher will have their name entered into a draw. The more students that participate, the higher the chance the teacher has of winning.

A rubric and an assignment overview are available on the TCP portal for teachers to utilize as an in-class assignment.

First place in text on gold$750 for 1st place + $75 teacher Indigo e- gift card + class plaque$750 for 1st place + $75 teacher Indigo e- gift card + class plaque$750 for 1st place + $75 teacher Indigo e- gift card + class plaque
$750 for 1st place + $75 teacher Indigo e- gift card + class plaque
Second place text on silver background$450 for 2nd place$450 for 2nd place$450 for 2nd place
$450 for 2nd place
Third place text on bronze background$250 for 3rd place$250 for 3rd place$250 for 3rd place
$250 for 3rd place

Submission guidelines

Each slideshow is opinion based but must be supported by research and include references.

Submit your slideshow by email and include the following contact information in your email:
  • your name and HAP ID number
  • your slideshow's title
  • teacher’s name and email
  • your school's name and address

For complete contest details, see Rules and Regulations. Any questions, please contact our team.

Slideshow requirements

  • Any slideshow program is permitted (e.g., PowerPoint, Google Slides, Prezi, Beautiful AI)
  • Title page must include:
    • Student name
    • HAP ID number
    • Student email address and phone number
    • School name and address
    • Teacher name and email address
  • A maximum of 8 slides, including the title slide and bibliography (6 slides of content).
  • A maximum of 50 words on each slide (excluding bibliography) and 50 words in the notes section. Bullet points may be used.
  • Full bibliography and in-text citations using MLA style guidelines.
  • Videos are not permitted in the slideshow.
  • Avoid using copyrighted materials. If copyrighted materials are included, permission from the owner(s) must be attached with your submission. Failure to do so will lead to disqualification from the Competition.

Slideshow assessment

  • Originality and creativity
  • Clarity in conveying ideas
  • Spelling and grammar
  • Research and referencing (bibliography)
  • Adherence to the theme 

The winners will be contacted directly by CPA Ontario and asked to fill out a Declaration and Assignment (or have their guardian fill it out if they are under 18) in order to claim their prize.

2022-23 Write to Ignite winners

In last year’s competition, we asked HAP members to “Make a pitch to the CEO of your favourite company about a change you would like to see," View the top 3 entries below:

1st Place - Dayna Xiao, Revolutionizing Water Managment
View slideshow

2nd Place - Prerana Sil, Lego-Scribe
View slideshow

3rd Place - Nareeman Alsari, The Return of iPhone Power Adapter
View slideshow