© Peter Nguyen / WWF-Canada

Designing Change for a Living Planet

Do you have an idea that can create a more sustainable future?

Overview

Students can design our future

We want post-secondary students to answer our call to action to design and pitch their ideas to help launch the Next Big Shift in our daily lives at WWF’s annual Designing Change for a Living Planet conference.

Each year, students from all academic disciplines are invited to apply to join WWF staff and professionals from various industries to create and share their ideas on how to build a sustainable future.

How it works

*In light of the rapidly evolving coronavirus outbreak, WWF’s Designing Change for a Living Planet 2020 event scheduled March 14, 2020, has been postponed until further notice, and participants will be contacted directly with next steps. The health and safety of our students, partners, and staff is our top priority.*

Participants will have the opportunity to:

  • Represent your campus
  • Create and innovate with WWF and their campus team
  • Connect with post-secondary students and staff from other colleges and universities
  • Develop new contacts with professionals from various industries
  • Present concepts to WWF staff and a panel of expert judges
  • Compete for a team prize

Are you interested in answering our call to action and representing your campus? Stay tuned on how you can get involved in this year’s Designing Change for a Living Planet 2021.

© WWF-Canada

Let’s celebrate

Multidisciplinary student teams from Canadian colleges and universities have joined us at our WWF-Canada office in Toronto to participate in this important discussion: How can we design a more sustainable future?

Experts from different sectors are there to support students, weighing in on how they drive sustainability in their area, demonstrating how sustainability can be applied to all areas of our lives. From international development, fashion, business, social work, life sciences, chemical engineering, and more, each year, students have answered our call to action and shared perspectives on how sustainability can be practiced in any area of study. Each group creates and presents their concept that will design change, demonstrating and building skills in teamwork, leadership, and critical and innovative thinking.

Congratulations to all the students who answered our call to action at WWF’s Designing Change for a Living Planet!

Get inspired: Past campus teams

University of Toronto Mississauga- 1st place
Taking a global perspective, local communities are incentivized to collect and remove plastic fishing nets and gear from the place’s wildlife call home. Partnering with and rewarding local community members financially, private international businesses can incorporate the plastic material collected into new products, creating a circular economy and employment opportunities.
University of Guelph – Honourable mention
University of Guelph students shared the idea of creating a market for recycled plastic. Individuals can bring and deposit their personal plastic to local processing facilities to be recycled and receive cash or discounts to stores. By sourcing the plastic they need from these facilities to create products - recycled plastic - manufacturers receive a sustainability certification.
Niagara College – Honourable mention
Niagara College tackled a problem impacting many grocery shoppers: forgetting your reusable bags at home. Instead of using a plastic bag, shoppers can buy a reusable bag and return it next time for a partial refund. Cleaning the bags between customers, stores reduce plastic at the source, creating a closed loop.

Why participate

Build your resume with professional skills

Develop the skillsets employers are looking for: critical and analytical thinking, problem solving and strategic planning and time management. Throughout the event, students will practice thought leadership, pitching and presenting, and collaboration.

Have a voice and contribute to change

Come together with students from different academic programs and schools to share perspectives on how sustainability can be practiced. Working with an interdisciplinary team, multi-faceted and creative solutions can be born.

Build your network of professional contacts

Networking is one of the most effective ways to find a job and meet the right people. Take the opportunity to get in front of industry professionals from diverse sectors at Designing Change for a Living Planet and widen your professional network.

Living Planet Leader

Designing Change for a Living Planet provides unique opportunities to develop and demonstrate leadership skills and experience teamwork. Participants can use this opportunity to complete their Living Planet Leader category for Leadership and teamwork.

Testimonials

Had a great time collaborating with peers interested in sustainability. We took a holistic look at an important issue and delivered recommendations to industry leaders that were well received. Thank you so much for the opportunity to collaborate for a better world!

Devon Fernandes
Community Psychology, MA, Wilfrid Laurier University, 2018

WWF's Designing Change For a Living Planet 2018 was an incredible event put on by caring and dedicated volunteers that consisted of WWF-Canada staff, academic institutions and other organizations. This event challenges individuals to not only think outside the box and disrupt the norm but to redefine societal norms as they currently exist for a better future.

Rob Monico
Office of Sustainability, Fleming College

WWF's Designing Change For a Living Planet 2018 was an incredible event put on by caring and dedicated volunteers that consisted of WWF-Canada staff, academic institutions and other organizations. This event challenges individuals to not only think outside the box and disrupt the norm but to redefine societal norms as they currently exist for a better future.

Rob Monico
Office of Sustainability, Fleming College

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