StFX students named regional champs in Green Challenge competition
St. Francis Xavier University's "Students In Free Enterprise," or SIFE team, has been named the SIFE Green Challenge Regional Champion by national charitable organization Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship (ACE).
All Atlantic-based SIFE teams were judged by live panels of business professionals and regional champions were announced on Friday, February 26th in Halifax at the 2010 ACE Atlantic Regional Exposition, supported by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA).
The SIFE team from StFX stood out to the judges because of their dedication to environmental issues specifically on campus. Accomplishments to date include supplying each of the 73 apartments in Somers and Power Halls, which house almost 300 students, with a kitchen compost bin, and an informational sheet with the environmental and financial benefits of composting. The next phase will be addressing the oil and electricity use in these two buildings.
"Winning the SIFE Green Challenge has given us the confidence to go out on a limb, and trust our instincts so that we can make a difference on our campus, and in our community", explains StFX SIFE project manager, Maura Casey. "Without SIFE, this would not be possible for us."
Ms. Casey also credits StFX Facilities Management, who purchased the bins and “are super keen into doing waste management, and to helping in any way they can.”
The end goal of this annual challenge is for SIFE teams to provide others with the knowledge required to make positive environmental decisions, both in their personal and professional lives. Teams have been provided the necessary tools and training from ACE to develop and implement their extensive projects to help others.
The StFX team now moves on to the national level of competition taking place in Calgary on May 11th.
“The StFX team is breaking new ground in the environmental arena at their campus - these accomplishments should not go unnoticed," says ACE president, Amy Harder. “I would also like to thank ACOA for their support in Atlantic Canada; with their assistance we continue to provide a platform for young easterner's to explore entrepreneurship as a viable career option."