Student groups working with campus, non-profit organizations in Sackville

SACKVILLE, NB — Two student-focused organizations at Mount Allison University have joined forces to make a positive impact on their community. Enactus MtA and Leadership Mount Allison are pairing with community groups and non-profit organizations throughout the Tantramar region to engage in a number of projects and initiatives.

“One project we recently launched is called Solution Duck. It is a student-run consulting business we created that works with small for and not-for-profit businesses, including the Sackville Food Bank, to help provide them with a sustainable source of income,” says Enactus Mount Allison co-president and fourth-year physics student Hannah Stegen.

“We’ve helped the food bank create their own PC Points card. All points collected using these cards go to the local food bank. This gives the food bank the ability to purchase much-needed items that might not be donated. On average, we have about 12 people using the cards daily.”

Enactus is an international organization, with a focus on improving the livelihoods of people in communities through entrepreneurship. The Mount Allison chapter was launched three years ago. Leadership Mount Allison — the University’s signature leadership development program — was established in 2000 and offers students valuable leadership training and helps them develop skills that will serve them in their future careers.

The partnership between Enactus and Leadership Mount Allison began this year, with Leadership Mount Allison providing workshops that help students involved in Enactus reflect on what they’re doing and think about purpose in their work. Stegan and Leadership Mount Allison’s student co-ordinator, Chelsea Thompson, started the initiative this year.

“Like Leadership Mount Allison, Enactus is made up of students from a variety of disciplines,” says Leadership Mount Allison’s co-ordinator, Dr. Leslie Shumka. “Their commitment to these volunteer initiatives is inspiring.”

In addition to the PC points program benefiting the local food bank, Enactus Mount Allison has embarked on several other projects with the assistance of Leadership Mount Allison. They are also co-ordinating the Learn to Grow project in partnership with the Mount Allison Farm and Salem Elementary School.

“We are working with Geography and Environment Professor Dr. Michael Fox and his students, as well as the staff at Salem to contribute to their outdoor education program,” says Stegen. “Enactus was involved in the reestablishment of the Mount Allison Farm a few years ago, so it’s great to build on this project in the community.”

Other initiatives include working on a sustainable agriculture curriculum with the University’s Let’s Talk Science chapter and Textbook Osmosis, where students collect old textbooks to send to other organizations such as hospitals, refugee centres, and penitentiaries. The books are accommodated with guides and curriculum where applicable, such as accounting or tax information.

The Enactus Mount Allison team, comprised of about 20 students, will attend the organization’s regional conference in Halifax in February to present on different project challenges.

Learn more about Enactus Mount Allison by following them on Facebook: facebook.com/EnactusMTA and Twitter @Enactus_MTA. Find out more about Leadership Mount Allison at: mta.ca/leadership (@LeadershipMTA )

Photo captions: Enactus Mount Allison students gather for a group photo in the Purdy Crawford Centre for the Arts.
Enactus Mount Allison and Leadership Mount Allison participate in a workshop about their initiatives.