It’s Back to School season so it’s time for a math problem. (Don’t worry, it’s less complicated than whatever “new math” is.) Got your scratch paper? Ready?
Q: 72,000 students + 1,730 campuses + 36 countries + 7 million volunteer hours = ?
A: A positive impact on over 1.3 million lives. Those are the numbers of Enactus, an international non-profit that working to advance sustainable development by engaging the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders.
Enactus is the world’s largest experiential learning platform dedicated to creating a better world while developing the next generation of leaders with a head for business and heart for the world. University students, guided by educators and business leaders, assess the needs of their communities and create projects to address them. As a result, the community benefits from the students’ innovative ideas, and the students learn valuable entrepreneurial skills and gain experiences that will enhance their future professional lives.
Enactus’ mission is rooted in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, designated by the United Nations, set to drive global change in a way that is sustainable both for the planet and its inhabitants. Enactus students keep these goals in mind as they appraise the challenges faced by their communities.
For example, Enactus students from Kaduna Polytechnic in Nigeria recognized the issues of water scarcity and contaminated water in their community. As a response, they developed a three-tier plan that included an education campaign on the dangers of contaminated water, partnering with a drilling company that created wells, and designing an irrigation system for local farmers.
Now multiply this by 36 countries and imagine the humongous impact. Each year, teams like this from around the world compete for a spot in the Enactus World Cup to showcase their innovative work.
Meanwhile, Enactus’ World Water Race focuses on Sustainable Development Goal #6: Clean water and sanitation. In the past, Enactus teams have improved access to safe and affordable drinking water to more than 117,000 people; recycled and safely reused more than 1,757,000 liters of water; and provided improved access to sanitation for more than 71,600 people. For this year’s World Water Race, the top four teams have been selected and will be competing at Enactus World Cup 2018.
To learn more about Enactus and to cheer on this year’s bright and inspiring competitors, please visit enactus.org.
