Lambton College, University of Windsor and Ryerson University will now move to a national competition in Toronto on May 11-13
MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO (March 10, 2015) – Three post-secondary student teams have been named 2015 Scotiabank EcoLiving Green Challenge Regional Champions by this country’s largest student leadership development organization, Enactus Canada, and proud program supporter, Scotiabank.
The Scotiabank EcoLiving Green Challenge empowers post-secondary students to develop and deliver projects that teach viable solutions to relevant environmental issues. Since 2010, 3,650 students have helped conserve over 24,276,480 litres of water, diverted over 2,648,310 pounds of waste and introduced over 1,290 businesses to green business practices.
“Congratulations to Lambton College, University of Windsor and Ryerson University and all of the teams for their incredible work on the Scotiabank EcoLiving Green Challenge. The commitment and creativity of these students is truly inspiring,” said Ed Keohane, Senior Vice President of the Ontario Region with Scotiabank. “Scotiabank is proud to support the challenge as part of our commitment to environmental awareness and supporting a greener future, which we do through our Scotiabank EcoLiving program. I want to wish the regional winners the best of luck in the national competition in Toronto.”
The Enactus student teams from Lambton College, University of Windsor and Ryerson University stood out to the judges at the Enactus Canada Regional Exposition – Central Canada on March 9 because of their dedication to tackling local environmental issues:
Lambton College took home a championship title for OneSeed, an innovative farming and entrepreneurship project they implemented in Zambia. The projects has trained 700 farmers on an environmentally friendly no-till farming method and encouraged solar powered water gathering, which eliminated 3,675 tonnes of CO2 emissions and improved 4,900 lives.
University of Windsor was named a champion for Project Releaf, an initiative seeking to improve sanitation through sustainable, waste management practices and provide access to fresh water for some of the most vulnerable communities in the world. Over the next three years, the project hopes to bring fresh water to over 800 people in Marite, South Africa and increase local incomes by 248%.
Ryerson University won the regional championship for Project Dago, a customized program that includes financial literacy training, empowering local women in Dago, Kenya to become community leaders and entrepreneurs, and developing a new, sustainable business model of honey production. The project helped put 1.2 million honey bees to work and generated $10,082 in profit for local beekeepers.
“These teams are making a real impact on the long-term sustainability of their communities through their environmental education projects,” says Nicole Almond, Enactus Canada president. “They are a perfect example of how Enactus’ socially-conscious student leaders are building a greener Canada.”
These teams will now move on to the national level of competition taking place May 11-13 at the 2015 Enactus Canada National Exposition in Toronto, Ontario.
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ABOUT ENACTUS CANADA: Enactus Canada, this country’s largest student leadership development organization, is shaping generations of entrepreneurial leaders who are passionate about advancing the economic, social and environmental health of Canada. Guided by academic advisors and business experts, more than 2,400 entrepreneurial post-secondary students led 250 community empowerment projects and business ventures this past year in communities coast-to-coast. 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 EcoLiving: Scotiabank’s EcoLiving, which launched in 2010, is a unique program focused on educating Canadians on the shared benefits of home energy efficiency and green home improvements. With its emphasis on demonstrating how people can save money by saving energy, and at the same time reduce their impact on climate change, Scotiabank’s EcoLiving program communicates the advantages of energy efficiency and sustainable practices. To learn more, visit ecoliving.scotiabank.com.
Media Inquiries:
Jody Lundrigan
Director of Communications
Enactus Canada
E: jody@enactus.ca
P: 416.304.1566 ext.222
M: 416.346.0131
Diana Hart
Corporate Communications
Scotiabank
E: diana.hart@scotiabank.com
P: 416.866.7238