Written by Ian Aitken, Founder, Enactus Canada
After 30 years of encouraging students to change the world through entrepreneurial action, I have seen over and over again how the powerful combination of innovation, passion and hard work can transform lives for the better.
When I founded what is now Enactus Canada in 1987, I could never have imagined what it would become or the impact that it would have on those involved. The thrill of seeing an idea become a reality, which then takes on a life of its own, is something that I have experienced with Enactus in Canada, and is something that I hope many others can experience as well.
Enactus is an international, non-profit community of student, academic and business leaders, committed to leveraging the power of entrepreneurial action to create positive change. The Enactus program attracts university and college students in Canada and in 36 countries around the world. What these students have been able to accomplish with limited resources is truly inspirational and gives me great hope for the future.
By combining experiential learning, with youthful energy and an entrepreneurial mindset, Enactus students come up with innovative solutions to real world problems and then put those ideas into action. Being part of Enactus allows students to experience first hand that all important thrill of seeing their ideas become reality while also making a positive impact on the lives of others.
Today’s youth have been raised in an era that has expanded the boundaries of possibility and connected them to the rest of the world in an unprecedented way. Collaborating with others and being part of a like-minded community such as Enactus is important to them. They motivate and inspire each other and the spirit of competition promotes excellence.
Starting today, we are bringing the Enactus World Cup to Toronto for an international celebration of entrepreneurial spirit and innovation that has the power to change the world.
Over the course of the next three days, we’ll hear from exceptional students about real community development projects and social enterprises that they have created. The students will compete to determine who has most effectively used entrepreneurial action to empower people to improve their livelihoods in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable way. This is not a competition about ideas, this is a competition about measurable results.
Through a series of regional and national competitions that lead up to the World Cup, Enactus has a presence in 36 countries and has worked with more than 69,000 students during the past year. Globally, Enactus students have created programs that have impacted more than one million lives around the world.
The best part? The students come up with project ideas themselves, address problems in creative ways, partner with others, take action and then compete based on the results that they have achieved. This process complements classroom learning and allows Enactus students to sharpen their own leadership and entrepreneurial skills while improving the lives of others.
As an experiential learning platform, Enactus is an important enabler helping to create the next generation of action-oriented entrepreneurial leaders. Many of the students who are involved in the program are transformed by the experience. Through their innovative ideas, passion and hard work they in turn touch the lives of people in communities across the country and around the world.
Enactus students don’t just dream about making the world a better place, they take entrepreneurial action and generate results. They create jobs, address critical needs and in the process, build a better country. Come and be inspired by the youth of today and by Enactus!
Want to tune in and be inspired by the Enactus World Cup in Toronto? Catch the livestream at enactus.org/worldcup from September 28-30 and follow along on social media at @Enactus_Canada #EnactusWorldCup and #WeAllWin. To get involved in Canada, visit enactus.ca/get-involved.