April 11th, 2024

When WRDSB students find a problem, they will solve it!

Students from six secondary schools came together at the Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum to pitch their big ideas to a panel of judges. The goal: receive funding to put these ideas into real action!

The day marked the end of months of hard work by groups of students from:

In partnership with Smart Waterloo Region Innovation Lab (SWRIL), students were challenged to create real-life solutions that could improve their school or community. With no limits, students were encouraged to think outside the box and dream big.

But, before the projects could start, educators and students spent part of their first semester engaged in the Global Innovation Management Institute’s (GIMI) Impact Program, learning about the importance of innovation and the element of compassion. Taking what they learned, it was time to put theory into practice. Students were tasked with identifying an issue or problem in their community, and then taking a design thinking approach to create a solution.

A total of 28 projects were on display at the museum. Topics ranged from mental health and creating positive school spaces to addressing food insecurity, advancing STEM and robotics, and increasing community support.

Soniya and Tala, students from WCI, came up with the idea to revamp their school’s Tuck Shop. After speaking with fellow classmates and sending out a survey, WCI students said there are too many places to buy school items. By revamping the Tuck Shop they hope to make the current space more welcoming and turn it into a one-stop shop to buy items such as tickets, bike locks, snacks, spirit wear, and more. It would also be a reliable spot where WCI students come to learn about what is happening at the school. 

As part of their pitch, they hope to secure funding to get a new door, new shelving, and a display TV. Students operating the Tuck Shop would earn community service hours. Sonja and Tala hope that this solution builds a stronger sense of community at WCI.

Hannah, Anna, and Hyab from CHCI pitched their Refooderator idea. What is that you ask? It’s an in-school community fridge that aims to help students get the food they need, especially if they can’t access food at home or don’t have the money to purchase breakfast or lunch. Their goal is to help CHCI students thrive with nutritional meals. 

Part of their solution is to involve their school’s food and nutrition course and see if they can provide some of the meals for the fridge. Other solutions include starting a school club to help maintain and stock the fridge, in addition to asking other CHCI students to donate items to the fridge, if they are able. The group hopes that this idea catches the interest of students at other schools so their program can expand and help others!

These are just two examples of the incredible creativity and initiative WRDSB students have displayed during this culminating project!

Decisions on what pitches will receive funding won’t be announced for a little bit, so stay tuned for those updates!

Together, WRDSB students are making a difference, and helping to build a better community.