Twenty Canadians are being recognized for initiatives that range from curbing environmental damage in the oil sands to tackling job discrimination to conducting original microbiology studies and they are all under 20 years of age.

The Top 20 Under 20 Awards, an RBC-sponsored program run by the charitable organization Youth in Motion, is a national awards endeavor that reaches out to thousands of youth across the country before finalizing a list of 20 up-and-comers who embody leadership, innovation and achievement.

In pictures: 'Meet Canada's Top 20 Under 20'

Whether its a creative mind who started an online space for high school kids to express themselves artistically, a student who started training youth on bullying prevention when she felt teachers werent properly trained, or a 13-year-old girl who built her own microbiology lab after being denied access to university resources for being too young each recipient has worked to improve their community.

Although students are often recommended by teachers and councillors to apply for the award, the program is not exclusive to schools, said Larry Mah, Youth in Motion programs director.

We dont ask for transcripts, he said. We dont associate success with grades.

The final group is vetted and judged by a panel of Order of Canada recipients.

We thought it was important for these individuals who have been recognized with the highest civil award to select the up-and-coming, said Mr. Mah.

Past recipients have gone on to invent solar paint, develop kinetic-energy-generating shoes and receive funding from the Canadian reality TV show Dragons Den.

Top 20 Under 20 alumni winners have together reached out to 3 million youth through their initiatives, raised more than $10-million for various charity organizations and earned more than $50-million for entrepreneurial business ventures, according to statistics provided by Youth in Motion.

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‘Top 20 Under 20’ recognizes young Canadians making a difference

School 'very pleased,' official says

Christina Haff of Youngsville, right, chats with other SUNY Sullivan students in the hallway between classes Wednesday at the college in Loch Sheldrake.DOMINICK FIORILLE/ Times Herald-Record

By Leonard Sparks

Published: 2:00 AM - 06/06/13 Last updated: 7:18 AM - 06/06/13

LOCH SHELDRAKE Ashley Boothe, Cassandra Engelmann and Marcy Piatek sat around a courtyard table outside SUNY Sullivan's B building, enjoying a sun-filled respite before facing the challenges of a Wednesday afternoon microbiology class.

Their kinship went beyond being classmates and sharing the goal of earning a nursing degree. Each said the decision to dip into their personal funds to enroll in the four-credit class was made easier after the college slashed summer tuition in half for in-state students.

"Otherwise I would be looking at $700," said Piatek, who lives in Liberty.

Students such as Boothe, Engelmann and Piatek are making SUNY Sullivan's campus busier this summer as part of a surge in enrollment, in response to the school's announcement in March to set tuition at $87 a credit instead of $174.

Registration for the first and second summer sessions totaled 285 students, compared with 148 students last year, and the equivalent of 89 full-time students instead of 40.

Enrollment should rise even more before the second session starts June 24, said Cindy Kashan, vice president for institutional enrollment and enrollment management.

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SUNY Sullivan's lower tuition attracts students

BASINGSTOKE, United Kingdom--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Food microbiology laboratories can now confidently test to a recognized standard forSalmonellaspecies with the Thermo Scientific SureTect Salmonella Species Assay, which has been granted Performance Tested MethodSMstatus by the AOAC Research Institute.

The SureTect Salmonella species PCR Assay has proven to be comparable to the reference method ISO 6579:2002, Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs: Horizontal method for the detection ofSalmonellaspecies.

We are delighted to have received validation of ourSalmonellaspecies PCR assay, which is one of a number of assays we offer for molecular food testing, says Sumi Thaker, VP Global Marketing, Microbiology, Thermo Fisher Scientific. These assays are part of the SureTect Real-Time PCR System that has been designed to streamline test workflow and reduce time to result, which are primary considerations in todays pathogen test selection. We anticipate validation on a number of new assays over the next few months.

The SureTect System was developed to detect microorganisms quickly and accurately in a broad range of foods and associated samples. This unique solution combines:

For more information, please contact your local Thermo Scientific representative or visitwww.thermoscientific.com/SureTect.

About Thermo Fisher Scientific

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science. Our mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. With revenues of $13 billion, we have 39,000 employees and serve customers within pharmaceutical and biotech companies, hospitals and clinical diagnostic labs, universities, research institutions and government agencies, as well as in environmental and process control industries. We create value for our key stakeholders through three premier brands, Thermo Scientific, Fisher Scientific and Unity Lab Services, which offer a unique combination of innovative technologies, convenient purchasing options and a single solution for laboratory operations management. Our products and services help our customers solve complex analytical challenges, improve patient diagnostics and increase laboratory productivity. Visitwww.thermofisher.com.

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Salmonella Species PCR Assay Offers Validated Method For Fast, Simple Detection Of Food Pathogens