While the world waits for our leaders to tackle sustainability issues in Copenhagen, twelve young Canadians are taking immediate action. The students, from ten universities and one college, have received grants from The Co-operators Foundation – Impact! Fund to initiate sustainability projects in their communities, across Canada and, in one instance, internationally. 

The projects range from urban beekeeping to education programs, from green jobs to banning plastic bags, from low-tech tap water at local events to high-tech barcodes for food products. The students have identified critical issues and have taken decisive action.

The $50,000 Co-operators Foundation – Impact! Fund was created to engage past participants of Impact! The Co-operators Youth Conference for Sustainability Leadership. Held for the first time in September 2009, the event gathered nearly 200 university and college students representing all areas of study from across Canada and provided a forum to develop timely solutions to pressing sustainability issues. Inspired by sustainability leaders like Dr.David Suzuki, 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. The Co-operators Foundation – Impact! Fund is a source of seed money to enable them to be catalysts for change.

“We have always maintained that what happens after the pre-conference research and after the Impact! conference is what is most important,” said Barbara Turley-McIntyre, conference Chair and  The Co-operators Director of Sustainability. “The conference excited, empowered and equipped almost 200 young people to go out there and have an Impact! We intend to support and measure that as the year progresses.”