Josh Nicholas, Alexis Jamil, Joey Corio, Ruben TarEnactus Windsor members Josh Nicholas, Alexis Jamil, Joey Corio, and Ruben Tar celebrate their regional championship in the organization’s youth empowerment challenge.

Student entrepreneurial projects claim national attention

UWindsor teams placed well in all four categories at the regional Enactus competition, March 9 in Mississauga, winning a total of $5,000 to re-invest in its programs.

The student club harnesses entrepreneurial activity to address social issues. The Windsor chapter finished first in categories promoting youth empowerment and financial education, and second in eco-living and entrepreneurship challenges.

First-place teams earned $1,500 each and qualified to compete at the national exposition in Toronto, May 14 to 16. The second-place finishers each received $1,000.

Alexis Jamil, a third-year student of drama in education and community, worked as a mentor with Youthrive, a 10-week program that teaches high schoolers life skills through the creation of their very own micro-businesses.

A partnership with the School of Dramatic Art led to struggling youth in the Changing the Odds program creating their own enterprise and selling products at a local market. University students are now leading financial literacy instruction in classrooms — 25 at the secondary and 19 at the elementary level.

“It’s truly amazing to see what happens when passionate and driven students come together to make an impact in our communities,” says Jamil.

In total, she says Youthrive helped to spawn 180 businesses generating more than $33,000 in revenue: “We created a community of young leaders.”

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