Enactus U of S Year-end Recap
It has been an exciting year for Enactus University of Saskatchewan. The team recently competed in the Enactus Western Canada Regional Exposition where they took home three awards for their social entrepreneurship projects. They also added the Vera Pezer Award for Student Enhancement Campus Group at the USSU Experience in Excellence Awards to their list of accomplishments for the year.
Headquartered at the Edwards School of Business, Enactus U of S is a team of 50 students from colleges across campus who are using entrepreneurial action to create better and more sustainable communities in Saskatchewan. This student-run, not-for-profit organization spans over 1700 university campuses in 36 countries.
This year, Enactus U of S organized a number of initiatives including:
Aboriginal Youth Idea Challenge (AYIC): This business planning competition is targeted at Aboriginal youth age 16-35. AYIC provides learning opportunities and access to mentorship to develop self-sustaining business models. The competition culminates in an awards gala where three winners are chosen by a panel of judges and receive a total of $10,000 in start-up capital generously sponsored by Affinity Credit Union. Over the past 12 years, AYIC has helped launch numerous Aboriginal businesses including Neechie Gear, Sweet Moon Photography, and ShopIndigenous, SheNative and fashion line Little Bow-tihk. AYIC was the third-place recipient at Enactus Western Canada Regional Exposition held this past March for the TD Entrepreneurship Challenge.
Food for the Future: With a goal to create food sovereignty, this Enactus U of S project aims to address food insecurity in northern Saskatchewan. Food for the Future connects community champions with funding and education, facilitating community gardens to grow healthy fruits and vegetables. Composting and reducing food waste are also factors as the students work towards environmentally friendly solutions. Over the last few years, teams have traveled to Beauval, St. George’s Hill, and Pelican Narrows to complete projects. Most recently, the team formed a partnership with Agriculture in the Classroom and the Northern Lights School Division. For more details on this exciting initiative, watch the Enactus U of S Food for the Future video. The team was the third place recipient during the Western Canada Regionals in the Scotiabank Eco Living Green Challenge.
CentsABLE Program: The goal of this project is to augment the financial literacy of at-risk young woman, low-income families, University students and high school students. By hosting one-on-one workshops tailored to the participant’s needs, CentsABLE volunteers can teach financial knowledge and identify resources to help young people reach their career and financial goals. Enactus U of S took home another third-place award, another first for the team, in the Capital One Financial Education Challenge at the Western Canada Regional Exposition.
The Enactus Stock Market Challenge: The aim of this project is to educate University of Saskatchewan students on the fundamentals of investment and portfolio management through simulated stock trading. Individuals and teams of two competed for the top spots, and a portion of the proceeds went towards a scholarship to help young women acquire post-secondary education.
The team looks forward to representing the University of Saskatchewan and the Edwards School of Business from May 9-11 when they travel to Vancouver, BC, to present on all four of their projects at the Enactus Canada National Exposition.
Congratulations to the entire Enactus U of S team and advisors Joe Schmidt, Stephanie Yong and Tyler Case on positively impacting the community through entrepreneurial action.