University and college students across Atlantic Canada help young people reach their infinite potential
(Halifax) March 19, 2019: Students at Memorial University and Acadia University have been named 2019 Scotiabank Environmental Challenge Champions by Canada’s largest experiential learning platform, Enactus Canada, and program supporter Canadian Western Bank. Both teams will now move on to the national level of competition taking place May 8, 2019 at the Enactus Canada National Exposition in Vancouver.
Students at Acadia University were recognized for providing youth in their community with free, hands-on education in entrepreneurship and sustainable business practices. For the past two years, they have worked to educate youth in the area on subjects such as innovation, prototyping, marketing and accounting. At Memorial University, students are employing at-risk youth to create a healthy, edible cookie dough for kids. For every SmartCookie sold, a breakfast is donated to a child in need. To-date, five at-risk youth have been employed by Memorial’s project SmartCookie and they have provided over 4,000 breakfasts to children.
“Being a young Canadian isn’t easy; they are experiencing high unemployment rates and increasing debt levels,” says Nicole Almond, President of Enactus Canada. “Through this challenge, we encourage young Canadians to disrupt this cycle by empowering fellow youth to take charge of their personal and professional futures.”
“At Scotiabank, we are committed to helping young people reach their infinite potential and supporting organizations that share this goal is one way we deliver on this commitment,” says Craig Thompson, Senior Vice President, Atlantic region, Scotiabank. “Congratulations to the Regional Champions, Acadia University and Memorial University of Newfoundland, who have displayed a tremendous amount of passion and creativity through their work in the 2019 Scotiabank Youth Empowerment Challenge.”
On March 18, student teams demonstrated their youth empowerment projects to panels of business executives as part of the Enactus Canada Regional Exposition – Atlantic Canada, held in Halifax.
Acadia University and Memorial University of Newfoundland will now move on to the national level of competition taking place May 8, 2019 at the 2019 Enactus Canada National Exposition, taking place in Vancouver.
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.
ABOUT SCOTIABANK: At Scotiabank, we aim to support organizations that are committed to helping young people reach their infinite potential. Young people are our future leaders and Scotiabank’s goal is to help ensure that they have the necessary skills and resources they need to support their success. Together with our employees, the Bank supports causes at a grassroots level. Recognized as a leader for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, in 2018, Scotiabank contributed more than $80 million to help our communities around the world.
Scotiabank is Canada’s international bank and a leading financial services provider in the Americas. We are dedicated to helping our more than 25 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of more than 97,000 employees and assets of $998 billion (as at October 31, 2018), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankViews.