MISSISSAUGA, ON - March 14, 2016 /CNW/ - Two post-secondary student teams have been named 2016 Scotiabank EcoLiving Green Challenge Regional Champions by this country's largest student leadership development organization, Enactus Canada, and proud program supporter, Scotiabank.

The Scotiabank EcoLiving Green Challenge empowers post-secondary students to develop and deliver projects that teach viable solutions to relevant environmental issues. Since 2010, 5,116 students have helped conserve 4,269,720 litres of water, diverted 2,684,921 pounds of waste and introduced 1,254 businesses to green business practices.

"Congratulations to Ryerson University and the University of Windsor and all of the teams for their incredible work on the Scotiabank EcoLiving Green Challenge. The talent and drive of these students continues to inspire us," said Terri Williams, Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility at Scotiabank. "Scotiabank is proud to support the challenge as part of our commitment to environmental awareness and supporting a greener future, which we do through our Scotiabank EcoLiving program. I want to wish the regional winners the best of luck in the national competition in Toronto."

The following Enactus student teams from Ryerson University and the University of Windsor stood out to the judges at the Enactus Canada Regional Exposition - Central Canada on March 11 because of their dedication to tackling environmental issues:

Enactus Ryerson built a geodesic growing dome to help combat food security in Naujaat, Nunavut. Their project, Growing North, has trained 271 individuals on financial literacy, business, horticulture and health for sustainable greenhouse operations and the team is expecting the greenhouse to produce 20,656 lbs of fresh food annually.

Enactus Windsor worked one on one with youth in their community to create 13 student-run environmentally friendly businesses. Through their EcoThrive project, the team believes environmentally-focused financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills can be incorporated in the Ontario Grade 7 curriculum and they have already seen students transferring their green lessons into their own homes.

"These teams are making a real impact on the long-term sustainability of their communities through their environmental education projects," said Nicole Almond, Enactus Canada president. "They are a perfect example of how Enactus' socially-conscious student leaders are building a greener Canada."

These teams will now move on to the national level of competition taking place May 2-4 at the 2016 Enactus Canada National Exposition in Toronto, Ontario.

ABOUT ENACTUS CANADA: Enactus Canada, this country's largest student leadership development organization, is shaping generations of entrepreneurial leaders who are passionate about advancing the economic, social and environmental health of Canada. Guided by academic advisors and business experts, more than 2,650 entrepreneurial post-secondary students led 288 community empowerment projects and business ventures this past 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
Through our global community investment strategy, Scotiabank and its employees support causes at a grassroots level. Recognized as a leader for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, in 2015, Scotiabank contributed $67 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 89,000 employees and assets of $920 billion (as at January 31, 2016), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (TSX: BNS) and New York Exchanges (NYSE: BNS). Scotiabank distributes the Bank's media releases using CNW. For more information, please visit www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankNews.

About Scotiabank EcoLiving
Scotiabank EcoLiving, which launched in 2010, is a unique program focused on educating Canadians on the shared benefits of home energy efficiency and green home improvements. With its emphasis on demonstrating how people can save money by saving energy, and at the same time reduce their impact on climate change, Scotiabank's EcoLiving program communicates the advantages of energy efficiency and sustainable practices. To learn more, visit ecoliving.scotiabank.com.