Canadian Kid a Finalist in Global Design Contest

TORONTO, ON – AUGUST 21, 2023 – An 11-year-old from Alberta has been named a finalist in a global design competition. Claire Kim from Calgary, Alberta is the only Canadian finalist in Toyota’s annual ‘Dream Car Art Contest’ which invites youth from around the globe to design a vehicle that helps make the world a better place.

This year’s contest drew in 782,852 entries from 90 countries and Claire’s “Happy Family Dream Car” design was selected as a finalist in the category for kids aged 8 to 11. Claire’s vehicle is designed to “create a safe space of joy for families and kids to shield them from the negativities living outside of it”.

As a finalist in the world competition, Claire has won a cash prize of USD $3,000, which is intended to be used for educational purposes in order to continue fostering her innovation and support her passion for making the world a better place.

Before her design was named a world finalist, Claire was among nine Canadian kids who were selected as Canadian winners by a panel of distinguished Canadian judges:

• Dr. Bonnie Schmidt – President, Let’s Talk Science
• Larry Hutchinson, President and CEO, Toyota Canada
• Regina Chan – Managing Director, AutoNerve Media

Here’s what the judges had to say about the submissions to this year’s contest:

“The vision, creativity and innovation presented in the design ideas of Canadian children and youth is truly impressive. With the reoccurring themes of peace, environmental sustainability, and happiness, it’s clear to see that these are the leaders of tomorrow.” – Larry Hutchinson, President and CEO, Toyota Canada

“The imagination and ingenuity expressed through the concepts of these designs were filled with hope and a deep desire to build a better world. Judging this year’s competition was inspiring and made it very difficult to select just nine finalists. Congratulations to all the participants who shared their dream car. Our future is in good hands.” – Dr. Bonnie Schmidt, President, Let’s Talk Science

“We have many talented young artists across Canada, and I am very impressed with all the entries. Their creativity and vision range from innovative ideas to address social issues to wild ideas beyond our imagination. Their youthful and pure philosophies were embedded in their drawings and they give us hope of a brighter future with better transportation and a cleaner environment.” – Regina Chan, Managing Director, AutoNerve Media

First held in 2004 and now one of the world’s largest global design contests for children and youth, the Toyota Dream Car Art Contest invites future artists, designers and engineers to share their ideas about the future of mobility.

For more about the Toyota Dream Car Art Contest, visit www.toyota.ca/dreamcarartcontest

About Toyota Canada Inc.

Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI) is the exclusive Canadian distributor of Toyota and Lexus vehicles. Toyota has sold over six million vehicles in Canada through a national network of 287 Toyota and Lexus dealerships. Toyota is dedicated to bringing safety, quality, dependability and reliability to the vehicles Canadians drive and the service they receive. TCI’s head office is in Toronto, with regional offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Halifax, and parts distribution centres in Clarington and Vancouver. Toyota also operates two manufacturing facilities in Canada. Having produced more than nine million vehicles, popular Canadian models built at these facilities include Toyota RAV4, Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus RX 350 and RX 450h hybrid, as well as Lexus NX 250, NX 350 and NX 350h hybrid. The company has sold more than 19 million electrified vehicles worldwide and is the number one seller of electrified vehicles in Canada.

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