(TORONTO) APRIL 8, 2020 – Students at Saint Mary’s University have created a program dedicated to helping at-risk youth achieve their potential through social enterprise and skill-building workshops.
The Enactus team at Memorial University of Newfoundland operates a program that teaches retired or medically-released veterans entrepreneurial skills that are needed to run a business. They’ve also created a free online financial course focused on providing knowledge of basic finance concepts.
These two Enactus teams have been named 2020 CWB Financial Education Challenge Regional Champions by Canada’s largest experiential learning platform, Enactus Canada, and program supporter Canadian Western Bank.
“Financial literacy is an essential skill that is needed to live a successful life.” said Nicole Almond, President of Enactus Canada. “With the CWB Financial Education Challenge, Enactus students are able to address the issue that many Canadians aren’t acknowledging. Their ability to provide people with the information to make sound financial decisions is monumental.”
Thanks to Options Youth, the Enactus team at Saint Mary’s University has seen an 80% program success rate and has trained 57 at-risk youth in employability skills.
At Memorial University of Newfoundland, Fin-Lit.ca has seen over 380 registered users and over 10,000 interactions to date. Through Prince’s Operation Entrepreneur, over 400 veterans have engaged in workshops – allowing for participants to generate over $4,000,000 in revenue.
“Canadian Western Bank is proud to support Enactus students as they strive to improve financial literacy within and outside of their communities,” said Jeff Wright, a senior vice president at Canadian Western Bank. “We believe in being proactive and by engaging our younger generations in becoming more financially literate, it is our hope they are gaining new financial skills they do not have today to better prepare themselves in making smart financial decisions throughout their life.”
The CWB Financial Education Challenge empowers Enactus teams to identify, create and deliver projects that address the specific and unique financial education needs and opportunities in their communities. Since 2011, this challenge has engaged 10,197 students across the country, resulting in 959 financial education outreach projects, and directly impacting the financial futures of 115,989 people.
Student teams from Atlantic Canada presented the impact of their financial education projects virtually to panels of business executives as part of the Enactus Canada Regional Competition.
Enactus Saint Mary’s University and Enactus Memorial University of Newfoundland will now move on to the national level of competition taking place in May 2020.
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 3,400 post-secondary students led 267 community empowerment projects and business ventures last year in communities coast to coast, directly impacting over 50,000 lives.
As a global network of 37 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 CWB FINANCIAL GROUP: CWB Financial Group is a diversified financial services organization providing proactive business and personal banking, trust and wealth management across Canada. Headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, we’ve offered customized financial solutions for over 35 years and operate with a clear focus on meeting the unique financial needs of business owners. We’re obsessed with providing the right banking, lending and investment solutions for our clients – by asking the right questions, sharing our industry and financial services expertise, and genuinely believing that great relationships get results. Learn more at www.cwb.com.