HALIFAX, March 20, 2017 /CNW/ - Students from Nova Scotia Community College – Waterfront Campus came up with a unique way to help the 3.8 million Canadians that have a mobility disability and the high aboriginal unemployment rate. Their social enterprise, Rampage, employs First Nations community members to manufacture portable accessibility ramps using recycled end-of-life tires.

In Newfoundland, students from Memorial University of Newfoundland identified a need for fresh, affordable produce and food security in Northern Canada. Their solution was Project Sucseed. Working with expert botanists and engineers, they designed a hydroponic system that enables people in northern communities a sustainable way to grow their own produce. In addition to providing systems to northern communities at a subsidized rate, the team has also established 13 food sharing cooperatives.

Enactus Nova Scotia Community College – Waterfront Campus and Enactus Memorial University of Newfoundland have been named 2017 Scotiabank EcoLiving Green Challenge Regional Champions. The teams were picked by Canada's largest experiential learning platform, Enactus Canada, and program supporter Scotiabank.

"We are continually inspired by the creativity and commitment our students exhibit towards environmental education and awareness," said Nicole Almond, President of Enactus Canada. "They are a perfect example of how socially-conscious student leaders can and will build a greener Canada."

Currently in its start-up phase, Rampage, for every ramp built, will divert seven tires from landfills and save $160 per ramp using recycled rubber.

Through Project Sucseed, Enactus Memorial has improved over 3,000 lives, diverted over 240,000 lbs of waste from Canadian landfills and conserved more than 2,000,000 litres of water.

"Young people are our future leaders and we are amazed by the talent we have seen from this year's winners of the Scotiabank EcoLiving Green Challenge," said Craig Thompson, Senior Vice President, Atlantic Region at Scotiabank. "Thank you to all the students who took part in the competition for your dedication to help make our world a little greener. We look forward to seeing how much they will achieve in Canada and internationally."

The Scotiabank EcoLiving Green Challenge empowers post-secondary students to develop and deliver projects that teach viable solutions to relevant environmental issues. Since 2010, 6,518 students have helped conserve 24,405,251 litres of water, diverted 168,653,116 pounds of waste and introduced 3,322 organizations to green business practices.

On March 17, student teams demonstrated the impact of their environmental initiatives to panels of business executives as part of the Enactus Canada Regional Exposition – Atlantic Canada, held in Halifax.

Enactus Nova Scotia Community College – Waterfront Campus and Enactus Memorial University of Newfoundland will now move on to the national level of competition taking place May 9-11 at the 2017 Enactus Canada National Exposition, taking place in Vancouver.

ABOUT ENACTUS CANADA: Enactus Canada, the country's largest post-secondary experiential learning platform, is shaping entrepreneurial leaders who are passionate about advancing the economic, social and environmental health of Canada. Guided by academic advisors and business experts, more than 2,734 entrepreneurial post-secondary students led 280 community empowerment projects and business ventures last year in communities coast to coast. As a global network of 36 countries, Enactus uses the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better, more sustainable world. For more information, visit enactus.ca.

ABOUT SCOTIABANK: At Scotiabank, we aim to support organizations that are committed to helping young people reach their full potential. Young people are our future leaders and Scotiabank's goal is to help ensure that they have the necessary skills and resources they need to support their success. Together with our employees, the Bank supports causes at a grassroots level. Recognized as a leader for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, in 2016, Scotiabank contributed more than $70 million to help our communities around the world.

Scotiabank is Canada's international bank and a leading financial services provider in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and Central America, and Asia-Pacific. We are dedicated to helping our 23 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of more than 88,000 employees and assets of $887 billion (as at January 31, 2017), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (TSX: BNS) and New York Exchanges (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankViews.

SOURCE Scotiabank