By: Yaminah Veloso and Anne Tamayo
Enactus Capilano is an affiliation of the global non-profit, Enactus, an organization committed to facilitating a more sustainable planet through entrepreneurial projects. In line with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the global teams of Enactus lead projects that aim to address the challenges faced in its local communities. For Enactus Capilano, that means empowering students and youth to meet the social, economic, and environmental needs of communities in the Greater Vancouver area.
Enactus Capilano has made a difference for 500 lives with its dedication to spreading awareness about financial literacy and sustainability practices. With 4 current projects contributing to Enactus’ mission of empowering aspiring entrepreneurs nationwide, Enactus Capilano only grows from here.
Enactus Capilano’s current biggest project is Square One–– a program fostering entrepreneurial leadership to address the lack of financial literacy taught in the current BC Curriculum. This program aids in career preparation for secondary school students before graduation. In 2017, at the time of Square One’s establishment, an estimated 80% of high school students lacked basic financial literacy skills. In collaboration with various partners such as PC Financial and the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), Square One has built a platform providing interactive workshops on budgeting, basic credit, career development skills, and more. To facilitate further impact outside the classroom, Square One launched a website and partnered with OpenWorks Canada and Soft Caribbean to develop the Start Smart app, which encourages students to take charge of their personal finances. Since its establishment, Square One has been integrated into five schools in two Metro Vancouver school districts, impacting an overarching number of 645 Canadian students and is expected to reach 1,855 more.
Square One’s efforts to address financial knowledge gaps have been recognized and awarded as they placed Top 4 in Canada and Top 14 in North America for the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA), receiving $15,000 USD in software development while being placed at an incubator valued at $100,000 CAD. Over the past year, Square One has also received $20,000 CAD in cash and in-kind donations, making it the most recognized Financial Literacy project in Western Canada for Enactus. Square One recently took part in the Dejardin Youth Empowerment Challenge and the TD Entrepreneurship Challenge in the 2024 Enactus Canada Western Regional Competition in Calgary, placing 2nd in both of its 3 categories!
U-belong is a mental well-being-focused project that provides an inclusive space to CapU students through its curated journal prompts, care packages, and interactive events, directly impacting 352 students. Founded in 2020, U-belong has partnered with RBC and PC Financial to develop the goal of tackling issues such as racial inequality, gender inequality, and self-acceptance. An estimated 93% of U-Belong participants in journaling activities reported experiencing relieved stress and anxiety, while an estimated 64% reported greater awareness of their mental health.
Through its online presence, the project spreads awareness on various issues while also encouraging activism initiatives––from posting content on International Women’s Day to World Sleep Day, for example.
U-Belong has also hosted events to educate students on sustainability goals relating to financial literacy and mental health, further working toward its goal of creating a sense of belonging and community.
Through its interactive events, U-Belong has reached approximately 100 students and is aiming to reach higher numbers in the future. The U-belong team is also collaborating with Jack.org to facilitate an upcoming workshop featuring educational videos from trained mental health ambassadors and interactive activities for Cap-U students.
GreenBlog's mission is to empower youth to employ entrepreneurial thinking and educate them about sustainability practices that address the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
With a podcast, blog posts, a newly established Instagram, and several collaborations with local organizations, such as Cobs Bread and Capilano Students’ Union, GreenBlog is one step closer to confronting the lack of environmental education and awareness within our community.
Sustainability Project
In efforts to tackle food insecurity and food waste, Enactus Capilano has partnered with Cobs Bread to host weekly events where members hand out complementary baked goods to CapU students. Some events involve informative sessions where members educate attendees about food waste, how it harms the environment, and what steps to take toward positive change.
With its team’s passion and dedication, the efforts of Enactus Capilano have been recognized through several regional and national awards. Since its founding in 2016, Enactus Capilano has received the Western Regional Runner-Up award for the Scotiabank Youth Empowerment Challenge, and the Opening Round Runner-Up award at Enactus Canada’s National Exposition, among others.
If you agree with Enactus Capilano’s mission and would like to volunteer or learn more about the organization, click here to visit its website.
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