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Mohsin Khan wants to make a difference - starting in his neighbourhood.

Non-profit organization Youth in Motion named the mechanical engineering student among its Top 20 Under 20 for founding Lead2Peace, a grassroots non-profit organization that engages youth in the Regent Park and Moss Park communities.

"It's a great honour but it's the result of a lot of team effort," said Khan, raised in Regent Park.

Lead2Peace educates youth on issues affecting their community, then gives them a $2,000 budget to create a project to address a social issue of their choice. Last year, for example, grade six students addressed food security and poverty issues in Regent Park by designing and creating a community garden in the shape of a peace sign in front of their school. The garden provided organic food to the school's lunch program and community.

Lead2Peace also runs a martial arts program, which teaches taekwondo in local elementary schools and community centres. Khan, who possesses a black belt, teaches 90 students a week.

Khan is a graduate of the Pathways to Education program, which helps youth from at-risk neighbourhoods access post-secondary education. Thanks to Pathways, Khan is now entering his third year of mechanical engineering at Ryerson.

O'Neil Edwards, former director of post-secondary mentoring and alumni relations at Pathways, nominated Khan for the Top 20 Under 20 award.

"I hope to use the recognition from the award to move Lead2Peace forward," said Khan, who is also a member of the Telus Toronto Community Board, which allocates funding to local charities. "I feel I can create positive change and I am already seeing the results."