Blog

Given the growing impact of climate change, building environmentally sustainable products and services has become more important than ever before. So, it comes as no surprise that GreenHouse (GH) students continue to build ventures with a sustainability focus. Whether it’s a product or service to help you consume more sustainably, or an idea to support existing businesses transition into a more sustainable business model.

On March 30, several GreenHouse innovation teams came together to pitch their latest ventures to a panel of judges from across the St.Paul’s community during its latest Social Impact Showcase.

On November 25, a number of enthusiastic GreenHouse innovators came together to pitch their latest ventures to a panel of judges from across St. Paul’s community during its most recent Social Impact Showcase, with all four presenting ventures winning funding. 

On June 2, GreenHouse hosted the Youth Innovation Showcase, a virtual capstone event for the Youth Innovation Program. This virtual showcase highlighted the innovative solutions developed by 27 youth from across the Waterloo region. These solutions served as answers to challenges identified by the three host organizations: Carizon, Reception House (RH) and the Volunteer Action Centre (VAC). 

Since 2013, GreenHouse has been helping students find purpose, take action and create impact. Recently GreenHouse has reached a significant milestone, celebrating the achievements of its 20^th cohort of students at its first virtual Social Impact Showcase.

With the announcements of widespread closures at the start of the March Break, GreenHouse’s Youth Innovation Program has had to be, well, innovative. Fortunately, both the students in the program, as well as the organizational hosts and the coordinator, Anne Filion, have risen to the challenge.

As an innovation community, GreenHouse is in constant evolution. It’s always finding ways to be more impactful in meeting the needs of the social innovators and entrepreneurs it serves.

We’ve all heard the expression: “It’s like riding a bike!” The phrase is often used to describe something that once you’ve learned it, you’ll never forget.  Over the past year, however, Connie Melidy and her capstone team of fourth-year mechanical engineering students discovered that learning to ride a bike in the first place is hard for some people, and decided to turn that challenge into their own challenge.

It’s very easy to recognize what people with disabilities may not be able to do, but Logan Gillingham wants people to see what they can do. That’s what prompted the local grade 12 student to start the Different Abilities project, a project she brought to GreenHouse’s Youth Innovation program this winter.

Lucas Moffitt & Marc Mirella tour a recycling facility and meet with employees at the facility