Toronto, Canada-based Corus Entertainment and marblemedia have named the winner of the 2009 Innovative Storytellers Award.

Ryerson University grad student Jason Thompson received the cash grant and industry mentorship for his thesis, Enviromation, which envisions providing kids with an international forum, through an innovative online platform, to exchange ideas and solutions about the environment.

The US$19,000, five-year educational initiative was launched in 2008 in conjunction with Ryerson’s Master of Arts in Media Production program, and celebrates an outstanding Ryerson grad student whose thesis explores the connection between content, new technologies and audiences.

Thompson is an animator, storyboard artist and illustrator with more than 15 years of experience in children’s television, commercials and advertising, working for companies including Cuppa Coffee, Cookie Jar and Ogilvy & Mather. He’ll receive the grant along with a series of one-on-one sessions with industry execs from Corus and marblemedia.