JOHN ABBOTT COLLEGE / VANIER COLLEGE
Innovation for the environment

On Friday, January 13, the 2nd edition of the Green Innovation Challenge was held at John Abbott College, in collaboration with Vanier College.

Presented by Desjardins Caisse de l'Ouest-de-l'Île and inspired by the "Startup Weekend" concept, the day began with a welcome address, hot coffee and the formation of 5 student teams who worked together throughout the Challenge. 

The projects presented were impressive and all perfectly feasible. The Desjardins grand prize was awarded to team M+M!

1st place: M+M (Cam Dorvilier-Schell and Yana Parkhimovich)

The M+M project is a student-led initiative that uses agro-industrial waste (specifically coffee grounds) to grow edible mushrooms. By creating something from scratch, we will be able to provide students and charities with nutritious, high-protein products for a fraction of the cost of store-bought mushrooms.

This project addresses organic waste and nutrition on a local scale.

2nd place: Fungicycle (Oliver Thomas and Eric Nyhus)

The idea is to replace food containers by using mycelium. Mycelium comes from a fungus, specifically the "root" which has many properties including the use of agricultural waste in production, heat resistance, moisture resistance, fast production and decomposition times as well as being inexpensive. The mycelium does not need sunlight and its formation is very simple: just place organic waste in a mold, add a mushroom in the material and in one week the mushroom will have completely filled the mold, without leaving any waste.

3rd place: Rainbeau (Micah Borja and Priyesh Patel)

Rainbeau's goal is to implement a sustainable water collection system that aims to reduce the use of tap water for watering plants in the John Abbott community. A tank would be placed to collect rainwater and then use it to water plants. By installing this device, tap water consumption is reduced by recycling water provided by nature.

"Over the course of an 11-hour day, students from Vanier and John Abbott Colleges worked to solve a sustainability problem related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. They showed remarkable enthusiasm for their solutions/projects, which was clearly demonstrated by their original and enthusiastic presentations. Each project has great potential, and we look forward to supporting the students as they continue to work on their projects throughout the school year," said Shannon Coulter-Low, John Abbott College Sandbox Innovation Centre.

"It was important for Desjardins the Caisse de l'Ouest-de-l'Île to be associated with this event for a second consecutive year. In addition to addressing sustainable development issues, the Challenge directly addresses our values of commitment, cooperation and solidarity with the community. There are great challenges that await our society in the coming years in terms of sustainable development. Young students are motivated to find innovative and inspiring solutions to make tomorrow's world a better place while prioritizing sustainable development and the social economy," said Susan Mckercher, Chair of the Board of the Caisse de l'Ouest-de-l'Île.