2024 Challenge Winners

Bins For Humanity

“We realized the amount of unused clothes in our closets and how someone could benefit from them. Our goal is to collect these unused clothes, sell or donate them, and use the proceeds to help people in poverty. We plan to create a network of donation bins in apartment buildings. All donations collected by the bins will go directly to MCC to fund poverty alleviation projects.

Our project focuses on goal 12: Responsible Consumption & Production, and goal number 1, End Poverty. According to theroundup.org, the world produces 92 million tons of textile waste each and every year. To further the issue of clothing waste, 87% of the materials and fibers used to make clothing will end up in either incinerators or landfills, with only a mere 1% of new garments being recycled into new clothing.

By supporting thrift stores, and by donating quality items, you can bring new life into used clothing that can continue to be worn instead of going to a landfill and being replaced by a new shirt. Moreover, the proceeds from these thrift stores will help us with our goal of reducing poverty through supporting MCC’s global projects."

Bins for Humanity Website

The Goat Project

The Goat Project plans to raise money from a variety of school fundraisers to put towards building a fully self-sustainable farm in Uganda and a goat livelihood project where goats are gifted to families in Uganda. They also plan to spread awareness for this cause and the Spinoza Foundation through school presentations and social media. Their project addresses SDGs #1: No Poverty, #8: Decent Work & Economic Growth, and #17: Partnership for the Goals.

The Cheerful Chow Canteen

Team Cheerful Chow Canteen plans to open a canteen at our school with the proceeds going towards creating and redecorating a space at the Foundry Kelowna. This room will be accessible to all youth in the community who need a safe and comforting environment to receive the help they need and connect with others in similar situations. Their project addresses SDGs #2: Zero Hunger, and #3: Good Health & Well-Being. The team believes that in order for students to thrive they need to have access to nutritious food and they would like to bring more awareness and show support to youth struggling with their mental health.

FireFree 2024

Team Firefree 2024 desires to impact SDGs #13: Climate Action, and #15: Life on Land, by reducing the risk of wildfires and protecting life on land. Wildfires and climate change are two deeply interconnected challenges. Their project involves going out into communities and forested areas, and removing fuels that risk fires. Through the combination of social media awareness, and getting rid of fuels, they hope for people to realize the positive impacts that fire mitigation will have in our community.

Opportunity Outreach Okanagan

Team Opportunity Outreach Okanagan addresses SDGs #1: No Poverty, #2: Zero Hunger, and #3: Good health and Well-Being. Their project desires to help people who are suffering from homelessness get an opportunity for funds and an education by offering a work program in partnership with People Lived Experience.

Academic Weapon Aid

"Our team is preparing to tackle goal number 4: Quality Education. We want to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and fosters opportunities for lifelong learning for everyone. We want to accomplish this goal because we value the education we have received and it's crucial that others be able to receive the same. We plan on supplying students from India with the proper school supplies that are needed for them to excel academically in partnership with Child Of Mine.

We are passionate about this issue because we are all aware that we have been extremely lucky in the circumstances we are in and the education we are being equipped with. We want to try and make this a reality for more people."

2023 Challenge Winners

Project Mini Forests

Congratulations to Project Mini Forests! They received $5,000 toward their public awareness and tree planting initiative.

Tackling UN Goal #15: Life on Land, Project Mini Forests aims to spread awareness for local plants and animals in the Okanagan this through a project awareness campaign, which will include planting events. Project Mini Forests wants people to know how important plants are for our environment, a healthier community, and how it impacts biodiversity. Follow this team of changemakers on Instagram: @betterworldclub_kelowna

LifeGarden2023

Our team is called LifeGarden2023 and we are providing funding for and overseeing the creation of sustainable, organic farms in rural Liberia. We are working with Provision of Hope to help teach workshops that educate citizens on how to organically farm properly and sustainably. Our project primarily targets Goal #2: Zero Hunger (by creating an accessible and affordable food source), as well as Goal #3, Good Health and Well-Being (by improving the overall diets and immune systems of Liberian citizens).

Find us on Instagram: LifeGarden2023

From the Ground Up

From the Ground Up’s project revolves around obtaining funding in order to install a geothermal heat pump inside Ozanam Recovery House which would tackle goals 3 (Good Health and Well Being) and 13 (Climate Action). Installing said geothermal heat pumps in their transition home would both lower the costs of running the house and allow more funding and efforts to be allocated towards the rehabilitation services they offer.

Follow From the Ground Up on Instagram: Fromthegroundup2023

Metro Entertainment Drive

Our project will be a donation drive at our school for board games, coloring supplies, books, and other forms of entertainment. The proceeds will go to Metro, a community organization that works with people living in homelessness. We are addressing goal #3: Good Health and Well-Being.

Stop the Stigma!

To tackle UN goal #10: Reduced Inequalities, our project is focused on trying to reduce stigma in our community, especially the stigma surrounding homelessness. We are Kelowna youth aiming to build an online presence so we can share with the youth around us the true stories of people who have experienced or are experiencing being unhoused.

Start A Cycle

Our project is to add more bike racks at KSS and change a policy so that schools will be built with more bike racks. We also plan to incorporate a lock sharing system for KSS so that students that cannot afford locks will be able to borrow them. Our group is most passionate about goal #13, Climate Action, and  #11, Sustainable Cities & Communities.

2022 Challenge Winners

Thrifty Thursdays in partnership with Kelowna Gospel Mission

Congratulations to Thrifty Thursdays for their winning project in the 2022 Challenge Project and Pitch category. Thanks to our generous donors, they shared in the $9000 of funding given to make student sustainable projects a reality. This team of 6 Kelowna High school students started out in a “Sustainability Club” that met on Mondays at lunch. With a common interest in bringing awareness and change to their school and community on issues that affect the environment, they worked together to build this project that will impact Global Goal #12-Responsible Production and Consumption and Goal #1- No Poverty. Every Thursday in a science classroom at their school, they host a pop up thrift shop for staff and students. The shopping experience provides affordable previously loved clothing items for sale as well as other sustainable student made items. The team prepares the donated items and displays them, markets the sales on their social media platforms (@kssthrift) and runs their non profit clothing business all while creating awareness around the impact the fashion industry has on the environment and humanity. All of the profits from the weekly sales are then donated to the local charities chosen by the students. Not only are they creating impact in their own school, but they plan to share their message about the impact of consumer choice when it comes to fashion. They hope to reduce the stigma of thrift shopping within their own schools and also to younger students in the district by giving guest presentations to middle schools. Thrifty Thursdays is already up and running and creating a source of revenue for local charities. You can donate gently used item at KSS in the bin provided by the front office.

ACCESSi in Partnership with Hands in Service

Meet the creators of ACCESSi, a website designed to make our city of Kelowna accessible to everyone, regardless of ability. These high school seniors have personal connections to those who suffer from reduced abilities and they know first hand how it can create exclusivity in day to day outings. Focusing on Global Goal #10, Reduced Inequalities, this team wants to bring awareness to the challenges many people face when trying to navigate businesses or recreational facilities in our city. By creating a website they hope to have a one stop shop for those looking for barrier free establishments. The purpose is not only to encourage local businesses to think about their physical spaces and how they can make them more available to all, but also to make it easier for those with disabilities to choose welcoming places. ACCESSi members will come to your business and do an assessment for mobility and sensory barriers and then suggest ways to improve. Those businesses will then be promoted on the ACCESSi site. The website is meant to be an interactive social place where people can share their experiences and share tips and info for those with physical barriers or mental health concerns over highly sensory spaces. They have partnered with Hands in Service, a local non-profit who works with the elderly and those with limited abilities to get them the access they need to thrive. They received funding from the SDC this year and have started to build their website and engage younger volunteers to get this project off the ground. See it HERE Follow them on their social media instagram site HERE

Smoothie City in Partnership with SD23

The Ripple Effect in Partnership with Life Water Canada and CISNC

Congratulation to The Ripple Effect who are working to combat the water crisis in our world on both a local and international level. This team of Immaculata High School students are taking action to educate their peers in Kelowna on the responsible use of water and also providing a clean water source to a vulnerable community in Kenya. During the creation of their project they recognized that the cultural diversity of their team members provided opportunities to share different experiences about the state of the water crisis. Three team members who had lived in the Philippines had direct knowledge of the lack of clean drinking water in many communities there. One member who grew up in Kelowna wasn’t aware of the importance of conserving water because of the seemingly abundant sources we have here. This opened dialogue and debate and ultimately led them to create a two pronged project that addressed both issues. The Ripple Effect team all agreed that Global Goal #6 Clean Water and Goal #12 Responsible Production and Consumption were both important issues to target. Their project would have them creating an educational program to teach their own peers at their high school about the worldwide problem of a diminishing supply of clean and safe water. They will install water saving diverter devices in their school taps and measure the water saved to serve as a starting point for their awareness campaign. They will also visit local elementary schools in their diocese and share their knowledge and encourage other youth to conserve water. In addition to this, they are working with Life Water Canada and using some of their funds to supply a well in a village in Kenya. By addressing the issues of water on both fronts, they are creating impact that will be sustainable. They are hopeful their work will create a ripple effect of change. Follow them HERE.

Metro Hair in partnership with Metro Community Church

Books for Books in partnership with Niteo Africa

Arts for Social Change participants

Arts for Social Change had 28 student entries this year and One Plan B Video. Community public exhibits were held throughout the months of February and March at various locations and our student art received great exposure which in turn inspired many in our city to learn about the global goals through their artistic work. $1000 of donor funds was divided between the top artists to further their work on impacting the issues that matter to them. Receiving financial awards were: Max Blackwell for “Between Black and White”, Marceline Smith for “The Words will Never Exist”, Alexie Bernasor for “Reflection”, Ryan Williams for “Patchwork Wedding Dress”, Lucas Wentworth and JB Ombing for “Pay Attention”, Grace for “Reduced Inequalities”, Catarina for “Zero Hunger”, Chayse and Logan for “Life under Water and Life on Land” and St. Joseph Grade 6 Class for “Haiti Rap”

Emerging team project: KLO Modular Farm

2021 Challenge Winners

View the Finale Event HERE

Our Voice for Change- in Partnership with SD23 and Society for Humane Science

Congratulations to Our Voice for Change for winning our top award of $5000 donated by Kairos Foundation. Ending animal dissections, protecting animal rights and student choice was the goal of this dynamic and committed group of grade 9 young women from Okanagan Mission School. Their love of animals and passion to lead change has interrupted the education system with new ideas and forward thinking alternatives to animal dissection in science classrooms. Working with local mentors, the Kelowna SPCA and the Society for Humane Science, they have researched and built a strong program to end traditional animal experimentation in their own school and eventually district wide. Working with the support of their administration team, faculty and their peers, they were able to present their case as to why humane alternatives are not only kinder to animals but actually create a better learning environment for everyone. They plan to use their funds to purchase digital models for dissections and begin to transform the program in their science department. They want to educate others in the district on how they are impacting Global Goals #4, Quality Education, #12 Responsible Consumption and Production and #15 Life on Land. Annabelle, Lexie, Erin and Caitlin shared a common bond in their friendship over a love of animals. This has led them on a path of impacting the plight of animals and creating meaningful change in the hearts and minds of their school community and beyond. “Ditch Dissection” and “Scrap the Scalpel” were their tag lines to bring awareness to this issue they care about. Find out more on their website HERE and follow them on their many social media sites where they are spreading their message.

OKM Composting - in Partnership with SD 23 and Spa Hills Compost

Zed Ed Podcast - in Partnership with SD 23 and Staples Studio

Plan B Video Winners

Using a phone camera, some creativity, passion about a cause and one minute to inspire others, were the tasks for these young film makers. Thank you to our sponsors, Planet B Honey and GECCO for awarding 4 prizes in this category. Students are encouraged to donate their funds to their partner organizations to further the work on the Global Goals they are addressing. Congratulations to the following teams.

Arts for Social Change awards

Using their artistic talent to impact the Global Goals that matter to them, students were asked to create an original artistic piece. 16 pieces were on public exhibit at the Rotary Centre for the Arts from Feb. 1-24th. Thanks to our sponsors, Gorman’s Mill, Tracey Horton Davis and Canadian Heritage Grant for supporting the arts in this category. Recipients were: Ryan Williams, Shannon Gica, Renatta Waller, Ana Morales, Lincoln Griffin, Mila Smith, Nadia Himmelstein, Owen Martin, Sofia Corlazzoli, Ben Jethro Sia, Fabianna Diaz, Isabella Hubert, Chance Dreyer, Finley Dober, Hailie Cruickshank and Fin Redman.

2020 Challenge Winners

Education4Her - in partnership with ISEE Solutions

Congratulations to this year’s winners of our top prize of $5000 sponsored by the Rotary Club of Kelowna. These 4 young women are fighting for the opportunities of young girls in Uganda. By partnering with their former elementary school teacher and founder of ISEE Solutions, Bianca, Zahara, Isabel and Anna, grade 9 students at Dr. Knox Middle School, have found a way to impact Global Goals #4 and #5 among others. They learned that many girls in poor countries miss school and eventually drop out because they don’t have access to proper tools when they get their period, forcing them to stay home from classes. Shocked that this was even an issue, these young women have been learning about the problem and how they can help support the work of the locally based NGO. They are directly involved in the making of the reusable hygiene kits that the NGO takes to Uganda every year. Regular sewing workshops take place here in Kelowna and part of the teams $5000 prize money will be used to take the kits to the girls in need. The kits can be reused for up to 3 years if properly taken care of ensuring fewer missed education opportunities and preventing “period poverty”. Along with providing kits, the NGO educates girls and other local stakeholders in the importance of supporting girls during this time of the month and the benefits of keeping girls in school, thereby breaking old beliefs and empowering women in the community. The additional twist of their project is that they will pay to set up a workspace and train 4 local Ugandan women on how to make key components of the kits themselves. This will provide them with skills and the opportunity to have their own business as well as making the kits locally available. This team is the youngest to win the Challenge and they are committed to spreading the word on this issue and bringing real impact to the girls ISEE solution serves in Uganda. Check them out on Instagram

Garden of Knowledge - in partnership with Provision of Hope

Students in Immaculata’s Social Justice class met Karen Barkman, the founder of Provision of Hope and were instantly inspired by her work in Monrovia, Liberia. Thanks to Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association for funding the $1500 prize so Ashleigh, Nina and Joshua could fund “Garden of Knowledge”, a project targeting 10 of the Global Goals, but focusing on Goal #3 Good Health and well being. By planning and supporting a 2 acre vegetable garden which will not only provide nutritional food for the community, educate them on which foods to grow for maximum nutrition the garden, provide extra income with surplus food and teach better farming practises, it will also provide a source of income for locals. The team learned about “Hidden Hunger” a problem where lack of education, rather than resources, keeps families in a nutritional void. Although food can be grown there with good farming techniques, it is important to learn which foods produce the most life saving nutrition. Collaborating with the locally trained farm lead, they were able to learn first hand the needs of the community. The team’s excellent research also taught them the unique political situation in Liberia that creates challenges for these communities. This team also learned about the importance of Goal #17- Partnership with the Goals, when they recognized the importance of working with another NGO-Thrive. Thrive empowers people with the training and simple tools they need to grow an abundance of healthy, organic, disease-fighting foods for life — sustainably. Their lead farmer, Kelvin Taweh trained with Thrive to learn sustainable practises in agriculture to combat Hidden hunger and with his education, he will lead the project in Monrovia. Although the team did not secure all of the funds needed, they are committed to completing their project. Please see their Facebook page, and check them out on Instagram. You can donate to them through their GoFund Me page as well.

Hands 4 Homeless - in partnership with Metro Community

When Dr. Knox students Amelie, Isla, Rachel, Jocelyn, Tenny and Brooklyn learned about the situation in their city regarding people experiencing homelessness in the winter of 2019, they came together to find out how they could have an impact on creating solutions. Focusing on Global Goal #11 Sustainable Communities, they partnered with Metro Community, a local organization “that is committed to working alongside the City of Kelowna and numerous other agencies, in a collaborative process called ‘Journey Home’. They seek to house vulnerable members of our community as a matter of priority and surround them with support services, to help them ensure success.” This team of committed and passionate youth engaged with many local organizations to build a human centred approach to breaking down the barriers in the community between the most vulnerable and the average members of society. Inspired by the film Ending Us and Them, which highlighted the value of one on one human connection and compassion, the team devised a plan to create a sponsorship program similar to World Vision whereby one community member would ‘sponsor’ one person experiencing homelessness. They would get to meet each other, share some time together at Metro cafe, and the sponsor would be able to provide basic support through a monthly donation. The team planned to create a pilot project with 6 matches. The hope was that this one on one personal connection would break down the barriers and people would be able to connect on a human level with shared experiences, thereby increasing dignity and self worth within the homeless population. Although the logistics of this project were difficult, the team reached out to local experts to try and understand the best way to create this connection. They required that the person experiencing homelessness would complete 5 hours of volunteer service in the community to feel connected and the team found several organizations willing to take part in facilitating this. Although the team was unable to fund their entire project, they are filled with a new sense of compassion from completing this Challenge. As a group they were able to volunteer at Metro Cafe and engage with the community there. They overcame their own fear and misunderstanding to serve and befriend members of the homeless community that will leave a lasting impression on them. Special thanks to Sheldon and Shauna Gardiner for donating $1000 so the team could fund the renovation of “The Connect Room”, a place within Metro where they hope the community can come together and spend time getting to know and understand each other. See their Instagram here.

2020 Plan B Video Competition Winner “The Power of Educating a Girl”

2019 Challenge Winners

Nairobi Water Harvest

2019 Finalists

Sicanang Well Project

This 2019 SDC Finalist team faced many challenges along the way, but they never gave up. They fought long and hard, fundraising and advocating until they got water pumped to 10 homes of villagers who suffer with leprosy in Indonesia. Before this amazing team brought this gift to them, the villagers had to walk a long way, often having to wait for hours before struggling to carry the water back to their homes. 

Savannah, Sophie, Cara, and Alex, you have shown us all how to persevere, never give up, and to stand up for the vulnerable. You were committed to helping these people, and you did. Thank you!

Project Update: 2020

Almost a year after presenting our project to a panel of judges at the Sustainable Development Challenge, we thought it was time for a quick update on the status of our project and the village of people we wanted to help support. Thanks to your generous donations, a school fundraiser, and a corporate who matched our funds raised, we were able to help to start a series of improvements in water quality and accessibility.

Attached are some pictures below of the two new wells that supply 20 families with clean, drinkable water.

The four of us have now graduated Immaculata and are halfway into our first years at various post-secondary institutions, including UVic, UofT, UBCO, and OC. Lots of exciting things await us and we are so grateful for this small taste of social justice. Our experience taught us so much as a group and personally, from how to overcome complications, to raising money, to educating ourselves as a whole.

Thank you again to everyone who followed along and supported us on our journey, and to our mentors: Mr Richard, Carmen Denby, and Gill Drakeford-Lewis of Hope For The Nations.

Crush the Stigma: Mental Health in Rural India: PROJECT UPDATE

Kelowna Christian School’s yearly visit to an orphanage in Rural India was the catalyst for this SDC project. Focusing on Global Goal #3, they pulled from their own personal experience, the need for support when dealing with mental health issues. They dealt with cultural stigma, road blocks to getting professionals to the area, and other challenges that made this a difficult project to execute. With determination and compassion they were able to raise funds on their own and have now begun to implement this important work. See their project update here:

Shanti Niketan Well Project Update

2018 Challenge Winners

Operation Take Two

From a simple high school project to a burgeoning social and environmental movement, Operation Take Two sets an example of what passion and youth leadership can accomplish.

Operation Take Two is a youth-led social enterprise revolutionizing the global issue of waste by paring it down to a replicable, community response. They do this by packing everything needed to recycle plastic waste into a repurposed shipping container—allowing them to transform plastic waste into practical, one-of-a-kind items such as plant pots and reusable grocery bags.

Through the sale of these items, they generate a profit that not only ensures the project’s sustainability but allows them to expand the project to new cities and invest in other community youth-led initiatives. In this way, they equip young people with valuable social and entrepreneurial skills and create a self-sustaining community hub for youth-led creativity, education, and empowerment. Read more about this amazing team on their website.

Operation Take Two started as a way for one high school to take action on a single issue: plastic waste. Since then, it has grown into a non-profit collective mobilizing youth to co-create intersectional sustainability.

Using Precious Plastic’s model, our small team of high schoolers designed a community recycling workspace in a repurposed shipping container at Rutland Senior Secondary to take school waste and turn it into new items. With the Sustainable Development Challenge as our launchpad, we developed a project proposal and grew community connections. Winning the challenge in 2018 and receiving the $5,000 prize grew OTT from just an idea to a project we were actually doing.

Over the course of two years, we worked to develop connections with over 14 community organizations, including Rotary Clubs, Okanagan College, and the City of Kelowna. Through these connections, we were able to access over $50,000 in grants, donations, and in-kind contributions to make our project a reality.

We gained national attention in 2019 when we auditioned for the reality TV business pitch competition Dragons’ Den and were invited to film an episode in Toronto. Pitching our vision to help other communities start their own Take Two workspaces, we received a total $30,000 donation from two “dragons” and an additional $30,000 donation through the Desjardins GoodSpark program. This support brought Operation Take Two’s total in grants, donations, and in-kind contributions to over $100,000.

Upon graduating high school in 2019, our three co-founders passed on operations of the Rutland workspace to current students and set our sights on how we could set up OTT to make a greater impact.

We expanded our vision and OTT is now just one program within a larger organization—the Sankofa Sustainability Collective, a registered society. Sankofa strives to centre intersectionality within the environmental movement by acknowledging that the issue is much bigger than just plastic and recycling. Sustainability means a liveable world for all of us. We strive to centre communities pushed to the margins to foster sustainability. Through accessible action, knowledge sharing, and community bridging, we work to leave no one behind. 

We’re currently working on our plan to begin networking with other communities and distributing funds to help them start their own OTT workspaces. Learn more: www.sankofasustainability.org

2018 Finalists

Mission Roots Cafe

This group of philanthropic entrepreneurs continue to run their sustainable cafe. They recently won the IGEN competition and have a strong future ahead of them. They are educating the students and staff at OKM about local charitable giving and living a vegan lifestyle. See their Challenge entry here.

Photos from our previous Challenges!