Canadian Colleges for a Resilient Recovery and Wawanesa Insurance supporting climate-focused projects with $150,000 in youth innovation grants

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Canadian Colleges for a Resilient Recovery (C2R2) announced today the launch of a new initiative, in collaboration with Wawanesa Insurance, to support young leaders who want to address climate change adaptation and mitigation.

The Wawanesa Climate Champions: Youth Innovation Grant aims to encourage youth, aged 18-30, to take a lead role in creating or advancing climate change solutions within Canada.

The Wawanesa Climate Champions: Youth Innovation Grant offers young innovators a unique opportunity to work with C2R2 partner institutions to develop, deploy, and advance their project ideas. Youth currently enrolled in or have recently graduated from a C2R2 partner institution have the opportunity to present their climate-focused ideas and complete an application in partnership with a C2R2 partner institution. The deadline for applications is Mar. 16, 2024.

Five projects will be selected to be awarded $30,000 each. The selected projects will be announced on Apr. 22, 2024 – Earth Day.

The initiative is designed to inspire and support the next generation of leaders in climate change and climate mitigation efforts with the assistance of applied research professionals at accredited Canadian colleges.

“The Wawanesa Climate Champions: Youth Innovation Grant will showcase the innovative talent of young people across Canada who are part of our Canadian college communities,” says Paul Armstrong, chief operating officer, Mohawk College and C2R2 chair. “We applaud Wawanesa’s commitment to Canadian youth and climate action and we are excited to see the ideas brought forward in this new initiative for C2R2.”

“Canadian Colleges for Resilient Recovery does such important work across our country, inspiring young people to respond to the greatest challenges of our time,” said Jackie De Pape Hornick, Wawanesa’s Director, Corporate Communications and Community Impact. “That’s why Wawanesa is proud to invest in the next generation of leaders taking action to help our communities become more climate resilient. Our $150,000 support is part of our broader Wawanesa Climate Champions program, which provides $2 million annually to organizations supporting people on the front lines of climate change.”

C2R2 is proud to partner with Wawanesa Insurance. This partnership underscores the shared dedication to fostering positive change and resilience in the face of climate-related challenges, and C2R2’s overarching goal of supporting Canadians coast to coast to coast in the transition to a green economy.