Amid the cases, presentations and recruiting, plus an onslaught of other obligations, how do students give back to their community?
Ideas.
Student teams from the Ivey Connects Community Consulting Project joined forces with local non-profit organizations to undertake consulting projects over a six-week period. With guidance from Accenture, this year’s groups worked with eleven non-profit organizations, such as Southwestern Ontario Stroke Network, The Sunshine Foundation and Boys & Girls Club of London. On November 22, the student groups showcased their work and how these new initiatives are making a difference in the community. Here’s a sampling of their ideas at work:
- One student group worked with the Canadian Cancer Society to create a nationwide corporate volunteerism kit, including a volunteer hour tracking and appreciation system and an annual volunteer report.
- Another group devised a growth and sustainability plan for WOTCH’s Impact Junk Solutions.
- A team also worked with the London Employment Help Centre (LEHC) to launch a new social enterprise offering social media and human resources training to these small- and medium-sized enterprises.
“I was extremely involved in the community when I was in high school, but at Western, it’s easy to get caught up in student life and forget that there’s a world outside of campus. Therefore, my involvement with CCP helped me remember the importance of being involved in whatever community in which I am a part,” Justine Lee, External Director of Ivey Connects, explained.
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The Ivey Community Consulting Project (CCP) gives students a chance to apply their thinking to make a real-world difference and see their ideas in action. The non-profit organizations benefited as well, as they were able to access support they may not have the resources for otherwise. Students discovered the immense opportunity that lies in working with non-profits to utilize their education for a greater good.
“The teams of students from Ivey were great! For our organization they provided such high quality and professional recommendations that I am certain will help Impact Junk Solutions,” said Nick Soave, Operations Lead for Impact Junk. “Impact Junk Solutions has a solid short term strategy setup to meet our goals, and that was due to the hard work of the Ivey Team.”
Now, as Ivey students work through final exams and head home for their winter break, eleven local non-profits can head into their winter rush with a little help undertaking the incredibly important work they do each day.
Learn more about Ivey Connects
