By Auz Momin
The Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement is gearing up to host the sixth annual Map the System Campus Finals. This event showcases undergraduate and graduate students from all faculties who’ve been exploring some of the world’s most pressing issues using systems-thinking.
Here at UWaterloo, the teams will compete to win generous prizes donated by Kindred Credit Union and the Waterloo Institute for Complexity and Innovation (WICI) The first place team will win $2000, second place $1000, and third place $500. The winning team will go on to represent UWaterloo at the Map the System Canada competition to be hosted by Mount Royal University in Calgary in May, competing against other colleges and universities.
Last year the topics ranged from sustainability in the fashion industry to food insecurity among Syrian refugees. Jordan, Waterloo’s 2024 Campus Lead and 2023 Campus Finals winner says Map the System was a fantastic opportunity to explore a topic she was interested in. “The competition not only connected me with great teammates but also linked me with professionals working in the field I am passionate about—some of whom I will be collaborating with during my master's program next year.”
This year students were also able to collaborate with community partners on issues they were passionate about. These partners include Grief Matters, Just Outcomes Consulting, Mennonite Central Committee Ontario, and the UWaterloo Office of Sustainability. Read more about the challenge statements for each community partner.
Often research focuses on a narrow aspect of an issue, but Map the System helps students visualize the bigger picture and investigate how interactions between actors affect the whole. The competition helps students build expertise on relevant issues and gives them a platform to build for the future.
Come out to learn and be inspired by the efforts of the top five teams; a light lunch will be provided for all registered attendees. Register now to attend Campus Finals.