On March 14, the Jobpostings team attended the Enactus Canada Central Regional Exposition at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto. With colleges and universities from all across central Canada in attendance, the room was buzzing with school pride and entrepreneurial spirit.
The day was filled with competitions: the Capital One Financial Education Challenge, Scotiabank Ecoliving Green Challenge, TD Entrepreneurship Challenge, and the Student Entrepreneur Competition.
I had the pleasure of sitting in on the Scotiabank Ecoliving Green Challenge: League B last Friday where eight passionate teams of students presented their green projects to a panel of judges. From initiatives like the University of Windsor’s Computer for Kids to Concordia University’s Eco-Youth program to League B’s winning team, Ryerson University with Project Dago and Project North, Enactus teams across central Canada are keeping sustainability and the environment in mind.
Decreasing electronic waste, introducing eco-projects to the youth and abroad, implementing agricultural recycling programs, and collaboration with organizations to build sustainable business plans were just some of the topics covered in the round of presentations.
Enactus Loyalist introduced Full-Circle Agricultural Recycling Management (FARM) to the panel of judges. FARM aims to collaborate with local farmers to properly dispose of used bale wrap and successfully recycle the materials at plastics recycling companyMin-Tech Inc. After their first round of collections, Enactus Loyalist was able to collect 20,000 pounds of bale wrap from just six local farms. “Burning bale wrap has serious consequences to our environment,” said an Enactus Loyalist team member. “Our vision is to create awareness of this problem by uniting farmers and community partners to create solutions that’ll not only help our environment, but our economy.”
Enactus Concordia aims to reach out to the youth community ages 12–24 in the Montreal area through their initiative Eco-Youth. “In 2013, we decided to restructure our Eco-Youth program,” says an Enactus Concordia presenter. “Our mission was to bring back urban agriculture to life while fostering community engagement in disenfranchised youth.” Through gardening activities and discussions on environmental consciousness, Eco-Youth is able to give youth a “sense of belonging and purpose.”
In a packed room full of spectators and supporters, Enactus Ryerson presented their green initiatives which aim to push borders, create new jobs, and focus on the triple bottom line: people, profit, and planet. The Dago Beekeepers’ Association is based in a small village in Western Kenya, where a presenter explains “we empower ten villagers to tackle this agricultural challenge” through a three-day seminar on beekeeping by “incorporating financial literacy and entrepreneurial education.” With proper working materials, the beekeepers in Dago, Kenya are effectively doubling their income and are able to provide educational funding for their children.
A second initiative shared by Enactus Ryerson was Project North, which brings green initiatives back within Canadian borders in Nunavut. This year, the team will be conducting a needs assessment, meeting local officials and educating locals on greenhouse technology and are projecting to create new jobs, more food, and make thousands of dollars in profit.
With Enactus Ryerson the winners in League B at the Scotiabank Ecoliving Green Challenge, they will be joined by League A winners Enactus Lambton this coming April at the Enactus Nationals Exposition in Calgary, Alberta.