May 15, 2014
Adam Kelliher and Eyren Uggenti, two of the three Langara students chosen to attend a national sustainability conference.
Vancouver, BC – Three Langara students have been selected to join other young leaders at a national sustainability conference the weekend of May 23 at the University of Guelph. Eyren Uggenti, Adam Kelliher, and Arianne LaBoissonniere are among 175 college and university students chosen from more than 730 applicants across Canada to participate in IMPACT! The Co-operators Youth Program for Sustainability Leadership. The Program involves a conference, workshops, mentoring, and funding for sustainability-themed projects.
The attendees are students aged 19 to 25, representing 68 Canadian colleges and universities and coming from a variety of fields of study. Participants will team up with various experts from academia, industry, and government to develop real sustainability solutions to take back to their campuses, communities, and workplaces.
“It is a privilege to be able to share ideas with students from across the nation,” says Uggenti, whose focus is sustainable business models. “We are all coming together with such diverse educational backgrounds in order to come up with solutions for the future.”
“It's our job as the next leading generation to conjure up innovative solutions for the current environmental issues we are facing on this planet,” adds LaBoissonniere, who studies resource development. “Where better to start than with the active youth of today?"
Renowned Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield will be the keynote speaker at the conference, sharing his unique perspective on our planet and the special role young people can play. Following the conference, participants will return home to lead community initiatives, some with the help of grants from The Co-operators Foundation - IMPACT! Fund.
“When The Co-operators launched the IMPACT! Program in 2009, sustainability was an issue that we felt deserved attention, but was not necessarily at the forefront of the minds of most Canadians,” says Kathy Bardswick, President and CEO of The Co-operators. “Since then, awareness of the need for sustainable practices, products, and systems has grown, and it is young people who are often the leaders, taking action to create a more sustainable society.”
IMPACT! The Co-operators Youth Program for Sustainability Leadership is a partnership with the Natural Step Canada, the University of Guelph, the University of Saskatchewan Centre for the Study of Co-operatives, Wilfrid Laurier University, Lambton College, the Canadian Co-operative Association, the international student organization AIESEC, and the David Suzuki Foundation.
About The Co-operators
The Co-operators Group Limited is a Canadian-owned co-operative with more than $34 billion in assets under administration. Through its group of companies, it offers home, auto, life, group, travel, commercial, and farm insurance, as well as investment products. The Co-operators is well known for its community involvement and its commitment to sustainability. The Co-operators is listed among the 50 Best Employers in Canada by Aon Hewitt; Corporate Knights’ Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada; and the Top 50 Socially Responsible Corporations in Canada by Sustainalytics and Maclean’s magazine. For more information, visit www.cooperators.ca.
About Langara
Located in beautiful Vancouver, BC, Canada, Langara College provides University, Career, and Continuing Studies education to more than 21,000 students annually. With over 1,700 courses and 130 programs offered, Langara's expansive academic breadth and depth allows students of all ages, backgrounds, and life stages to choose their own educational path.
Learn more.
Chris Smith
Communications Officer
chrissmith@langara.bc.ca
Eyren Uggenti
604.916.6780 | eyren.uggenti@hotmail.com
Adam Kelliher
604.353.5949 | adam_kelliher@hotmail.com