Impact! Fund

Background

In September of 2009, nearly 200 university and college students representing all areas of study from across Canada collectively attended Impact! The Co-operators Youth Conference for Sustainability Leadership, to develop timely solutions to pressing sustainability issues. Inspired by sustainability leaders, guided by sectoral experts from industry and academia, and through vast and diverse networks, students developed practical solutions and practices to effect change long after the conference.

2009 Impact! Fund Recipients

Eliese Watson – Mount Royal College (Calgary, AB)
A.B.C. Apiaries and Bees for Communities is a new initiative that will cultivate a community of urban apiarists in an effort to create ecologically diverse ecosystems within an urban centre. Our $ 5,000 grant will contribute to the development and delivery of education events and classes starting in February 2010, with the goal of increasing participation in urban bee keeping.

Emil Noordeh – Schulich School of Business, York University (Toronto, ON)
Did You Know: H2O is a public awareness project. Our $ 1,385 grant will be used to create a 3-4 minute video that will visually portray the most pressing and interesting facts about water consumption, protection, conservation and pollution. Funds will also be used to create a website and forum to host the video increasing public accessibility and viewing.

Keleigh Annau – Mount Royal University (Sackville, NB)
Lights Out Canada is based on a simple idea: turn the lights out in schools, teach students about climate change and support them in taking action. In the last four years, the program has successfully reached over one hundred twenty-five thousand students. Our $ 5,000 grant will assist in expanding the program and increase its reach to students who want to take action through commitments to action, projects and the national Lights Out Canada Day. They hope to conduct over 30 presentations in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in Schools in 2010.

Alla Guelber – Royal Roads University (Victoria, BC)
Green Jobs Workshop, presented in partnership with Alberta Acts on Climate Change, will provide a venue for young professionals (ages 20 – 35) in Alberta to share knowledge, brainstorm and build future capacity for personal job creation in the environmental sector.  Our $ 5,000 grant will assist them to create a workshop in May 2010.

Robert Courteau – Bishop’s University (Lennoxville, QC)
The Lennoxville Plastic Bag Initiative is focused on raising awareness about the exponentially growing amounts of plastic in landfills and oceans. Our $1,300 grant will assist them in launching the initiative by spreading the message of its negative environmental impacts and encourage a city-wide ban through engaging businesses and faculty/students on campus. It will also aid in the creation and distribution of shirts, cloth bags and window stickers (for businesses) throughout the community.

Sara Wicks – University of Guelph (Guelph, ON)
Reduce The Juice: Bike Generators is a youth-led energy conservation project. In partnership with Recycle Cycles, Region of Waterloo, City of Waterloo, University of Waterloo and Waterloo Collegiate Institute, bicycle-powered electricity generators will be constructed and used in the community to power local cultural events and energy generating demonstrations. Our $ 1,000 grant will support the building process and energy consumption awareness activities.

Alison McDonald – Trent University (Peterborough, ON)
Root Cellar Food Sustainability Project in partnership with the Seasoned Spoon Cooperative Café at Trent University, will educate students and community members about sustainable food systems and storage methods. Our grant of $5,000 will contribute toward the initial expenses associated with building a root cellar for the café to store local foods, and further reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions.

Elisabeth Poirier-Garneau – Université de Sherbrooke (currently residing in St. John’s, NL)
Sustainable Product Information (SPI): Moving Beyond the Barcode a new initiative. Based on model used in Japan, SPI is researching the feasibility of placing 2-dimensional QR code labels on food products that can be scanned with the use of cell phones. These labels will provide information about where products are made, ingredients and their overall impacts on the environment and society. Our $5,000 grant will assist them in creating a technical framework and marketing video to demonstrate the benefits to businesses.

Jonathan Glencross – McGill University (Montreal, QC)
Sustainable McGill is a student-led initiative which strives to create a sustainable campus community. Our $ 3,500 grant will assist in creating a community forum scheduled to release in February 2010. It will also aid in the preparation of an event that will include presentations and workshop from the administration and students on what the sustainability policy means for the campus community and additional information on their Sustainable Projects Fund.

Marco Mwenda- Assiniboine Community College (Brandon, MB)
The Marquis Project is a non-governmental, community-based organization in south-western Manitoba focused on actively engaging Manitobans in sustainable international partnership projects.  Our $ 5,000 grant will assist them to initiate a speakers’ series on climate change primarily from the Canadian rural prairie context with connections to Tanzania. Series will also identify climate change impacts, while offering localized solutions and actions.

Ellen Quigley – University of Saskatchewan (Saskatoon, SK)
Water Water Everywhere has partnered with the City of Saskatchewan Water Treatment Division and We Are Many (WAM), to develop a pilot project and infrastructure that will supply tap water at local events, as an alternative to bottles water. Our $ 5,000 grant will cover the equipment/supply and signage purchases.

Amélie Marsolais-Ricard – McGill University (Saint-Lambert, QC)
A Bicycle Shelter for the Advancement of Sustainable Construction is a collaboration of many skilled students, professionals, teachers and local businesses experienced in architecture, engineering, construction and environmental products. Together, they will design and build a green bicycle shelter at College Durocher in Saint Lambert, using sustainable construction methods. Our $ 5,000 grant will support the green roof, siding and signage.

 Vision of The Co-operators Foundation – Impact Fund

The Co-operators Foundation – Impact Fund engages youth and financially supports their sustainability solutions to  positively impact Canadian organizations and communities.

Available Funding

Students who attended the conference were eligible to apply for funding. Each grant is in the range of $1,000-5,000, although exceptions may be made to accommodate exceptionally ambitious projects. The funds directed per proposal  depended on the project’s potential impact and are intended to cover anticipated expenses during the project. Total funding available in 2009 is $50,000 for projects completed by June 30, 2010. 

Selection Process

Proposals were evaluated by a five-person Adjudication Committee from IMPACT: The Co-operators Youth Conference for Sustainability Leadership:

• Steering Committee Chair: Barbara Turley-McIntyre, Director, Sustainability & Corporate Citizenship, The Co-operators
• University Representatives: Lou Hammond Ketilson, University of Saskatchewan & Rumina Dhalla, University of Guelph
• The Co-operators Staff Representative: Kelly Rutherford, Specialist, Corporate Citizenship,      The Co-operators
• Student Representative: Brett Harding, University of Guelph

For more information about The Co-operators Foundation – Impact Fund, contact impact@cooperators.ca