After an exciting weekend of competition in the nation’s capital, 15-year-old Mark Cherwick was named the winner of the 2025 Canadian Geographic Challenge, earning the title of Canada’s Top Young Geographer and taking home the $3,000 grand prize. More than 10,000 Canadian students competed across the country.

The national final, held at the Royal Canadian Geographical Society’s headquarters at 50 Sussex Drive, brought together 20 outstanding students aged 12 to 16 from every region of the country. Over the course of three days, participants tackled written tests, outdoor fieldwork, and live-audience challenges to demonstrate their knowledge of human and physical geography at both local and global scales.

“This weekend we saw students who weren’t afraid to step outside, pay attention, ask questions, and look at the world through a geographic perspective. That curiosity and determination to understand nature and our role in it is what makes them geographers at heart—and it’s exactly why they excelled in the Challenge,” said Michelle Chaput, Director of Research and Education at Canadian Geographic Education. “Representing the future of geography in Canada, these students are bright, inquisitive, and ready to make a difference.”

After an intense weekend of activities, five finalists advanced to the final round which took place in the Alex Trebek Theatre, named for the late Jeopardy! host and former Honorary President of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS). The final round, hosted by RCGS Explorer-in-Residence Ray Zahab, was watched by a live audience of family members, educators, and supporters, and culminated in an exciting finish.

The finalists from across the country included:

●       National Champion: Mark Cherwick, Grade 9, St. John’s

●       Second place winner: Eric Yuan, Grade 9, Calgary

●       Third place winner: Mason Slobodin, Grade 8, Ottawa

●       Fourth place runner up: Jevon De Silva, Grade 9, Markham

●       Fifth place runner up: Edward Clark, Grade 10, Hamilton

This was the second time that Cherwick competed in the Challenge, winning third place in 2024, and taking home the grand prize during the 2025 competition. Cherwick is a Grade 9 student at  École Rocher du Nord in St. John’s.

“What I like about Geography is that it is linked to all of the subjects that I am interested in. It’s the basis of history, political science, linguistics and anthropology. You can’t understand any of those subjects without understanding geography,” said Mark Cherwick. “The competition is a great experience and I was happy to win it this year.”

The competition and its 30-year legacy were made possible through the generous support of Kensington Tours and the Trebek Family Foundation. This year’s national final also featured the participation of Helen Giontsis, President of Kensington Tours, and her team, who met with students and celebrated their achievements.

“I was so impressed by the knowledge that these young people have about the world. Many of the questions were really challenging, and the students demonstrated a wealth of knowledge about geography, biodiversity, and incredibly fascinating places they might visit somewhere in the world,” said Helen Giontsis, President of Kensington Tours. 

The Challenge continues to inspire thousands of Canadian students annually, and this year’s anniversary event reaffirmed the importance of geographic education in understanding and shaping the world.