Post-Secondary Students in Ontario Recognized for their Efforts to Build a Greener Canada
(Mississauga) March 11, 2019: Students at Students at Lambton College and At the University of Windsor have been named 2019 Scotiabank Environmental Challenge Regional Champions. Canada’s largest experiential learning platform, Enactus Canada, and program supporter Scotiabank picked the teams that will be moving to the national level of competition taking place May 8, 2019 at the Enactus National Exposition in Vancouver.
Students at Lambton College installed solar drip irrigation systems at schools in Zambia, Africa, providing a varied diet to students using clean, solar energy, helping to feed 750 children a variety of fruits and vegetables. At the University of Windsor, students empowered local youth to create green businesses through a 10-week mentorship program, creating 186 green businesses that generated close to $30,000 in revenues and repurposed or diverted 4,100 lbs of waste. Western University developed FoodFund, a social enterprise that partners with local farmers to source overstocked and imperfect produce, then packages and ships them directly to customer’s doors.
“The innovative environmental initiatives our students undertake to create a sustainable and healthy future is incredibly inspiring,” says Nicole Almond, President of Enactus Canada. “They’re proof that when organizations and communities collaborate, we have the power to drive sustainable change.”
“Congratulations to the Regional Champions of the Scotiabank Environmental Challenge,” says Rachel Donoghue, District Vice-President, Mississauga, Scotiabank. “Scotiabank aims to support organizations that are committed to helping young people reach their infinite potential. As our leaders of tomorrow, the winners play an important role in protecting and conserving our environment for future generations and we look forward to seeing their achievements in Canada and internationally.”
The Scotiabank Environmental Challenge empowers post-secondary students to develop and deliver projects that teach viable solutions to relevant environmental issues. Since 2009, 9,196 Enactus students have delivered over 846 environmental projects. Last year, they saved 11,946,205 liters of water and saved $1,769,678.85 through reduction of waste.
On March 8, student teams demonstrated the impact of their environmental initiatives to panels of business executives as part of the Enactus Canada Regional Exposition – Central Canada, held in Mississauga.
ABOUT ENACTUS CANADA: Enactus Canada, a national charity and the country’s largest post-secondary experiential learning platform, is shaping entrepreneurial leaders who are passionate about advancing the economic, social and environmental health of Canada. Guided by academic advisors and business experts, more than 3,498 post-secondary students led 275 community empowerment projects and business ventures last year in communities coast to coast, positively impacting over 28,000 lives.
As a global network of 36 countries, Enactus uses the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better, more sustainable world. For more information, visit enactus.ca.
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Through our five commitments to customers, employees, communities, the environment, and strong corporate governance practices, we aim to create a better future for both society and Scotiabank. We are focused on leveraging our resources, reach, and expertise to drive economic growth, as well as protecting and enhancing our reputation, for all stakeholders and the communities where we operate. For more information on our CSR strategy please visit www.scotiabank.com/csr.