News

While wandering on campus, you may notice that there are numerous red and orange ribbons tied to the bridge crossing Laurel Creek from Environment 3 to St. Paul’s. In 2016, the Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre began tying red ribbons to the bridge to honour and provide a gentle reminder of the lives of 4000+ missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people, as a part of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.

Senior Project Manager of Changemaker Labs, Lily Viggiano was interviewed by New York University’s Chapter of the Food Recovery Network. The article discusses the incredible work being done by youth-led organizations to tackle food insecurity, food waste, and unsustainable food systems. The piece highlights how young people, especially from Gen Z, are stepping up to address these challenges through initiatives like the Food Recovery Network and Food 4 Thought. It also features the work we’re doing at GreenHouse, where we’ve started a student-centered garden in University of Waterloo to reconnect people with the food production process similar to that of their ancestors. After tearing down an old, neglected garden, we’ve grown everything from tomatoes to herbs and even hosted soup kitchen lunches. The article touches on how personal experiences, from health concerns to the impacts of the pandemic, are driving this movement, and how social media and community engagement are helping us push for systemic change. 

Link to read the full article here 

This January the Social Innovation and Impact Minor was featured in a news article in The Record. The Social Innovation and Impact minor is designed to help students combine their passion for creating social impact with their academic studies. 

Through the Minor, students from various faculties—including arts, engineering, and environment—can earn academic credit while working on real-world projects that tackle issues like mental health, climate change, and more. The program combines theoretical learning with hands-on experience, giving students the tools to become active problem-solvers and leaders in today’s rapidly changing world. Read the full article to learn more about how this minor is shaping the future of social innovation education! 

Link to read the full article here 

The United College Green Team's Zero Waste Challenge took center stage on CTV news. The challenge: fit one month’s worth of garbage into a one-litre mason jar. 

The initiative took place in collaboration with Reep Green Solutions attracting over 100+ individuals from different age groups and communities. 

Read the full story here

Tune into the Zero Waste Episode of the "Your Region Pod" podcast.

29th social impact showcase winners and overview.

On March 22, 2023, GreenHouse celebrated their 28th Social Impact Showcase. 11 student-led social ventures pitched their ideas and 5 were awarded grants from the Social Impact Fund. 

As CEO and founder of Lunaria Solutions, Cassie Myers envisions a world where people of all identities can thrive.  Lunaria Solutions helps companies and brands flourish by providing diversity, equity and inclusion solutions that put people first and drive real returns. Through its software, Lunaria provides a customized diversity, equity and inclusion audit, program evaluation and actionable management plan for organizations.  In 2020, Lunaria was recognized by the Global Talent Accelerator as one of five Canadian technology companies that are doing diversity right.

Tracy is one of the few women to become a Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission licensed operator at Bruce Power and is the only woman to ever work her way up to Shift Manager from the shop floor.  Tracy is currently leading the Emergent Work Team while mentoring women and men in both operations and leadership roles and is a member of the Women in Nuclear Canada Board.  

GreenHouse hosted their 27th Social Impact Showcase in Fall 2022. They surpassed a significant milestone of funding over 100 student-led social ventures. 

The Social Impact Showcase celebrates the amazing work that GreenHouse students have accomplished throughout their social innovation journeys.