Young Climate Innovators Receive $150,000 to Turn Ideas into Community Climate Solutions

C2R2 and Wawanesa once again partner to award youth-led climate projects $30,000 each

HAMILTON, Ontario, April 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For a third consecutive year, Canadian Colleges for a Resilient Recovery (C2R2) and Wawanesa Insurance are investing in youth-led climate innovation through the Wawanesa Climate Champions: Youth Innovation Grants, awarding a total of $150,000 to five projects across the country.

As Canadian communities face growing climate challenges, from extreme weather to rising environmental risks, young innovators are stepping forward with solutions. This year’s recipients of the Wawanesa Climate Champions: Youth Innovation Grants represent a new generation of climate leaders developing projects that address key issues in climate adaptation and mitigation.

1. Darya Fatyanova and Shakira Khan, from British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), for their project, Green Hydrogen Production from Pulp and Paper Wastewater
2. Camila Del Aguila, from Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC), for their project, Controlled Environment Agriculture for Climate Resilient Food Security (NSCC)
3. Christian Sprinkhuysen, from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), for their project Sludge Mapping Stormwater Ponds with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
4. Tamara Stojsic, from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), for their project, Validation of Passive De-Icing Systems for Cold-Climate Power Infrastructure
5. Denhyn Holowatuk, from Saskatchewan Polytechnic, for their project, Community scale diversion of lake algal blooms into biofuel
   
   

Each college student will receive $30,000 to develop and implement a project that addresses climate adaptation, mitigation or community resilience in areas that impact Canadians most. Working alongside faculty mentors and applied research teams at C2R2 member institutes, youth will transform innovative ideas into practical solutions that can benefit communities nationally.

“Young innovators are not just imagining a more resilient future, they’re building it,” said Jennifer Figner, Provost & Vice President Academic at BCIT. “With support from Wawanesa students gain the support and resources needed to test bold ideas and deliver real, long-term impact.”

Delivered through the Wawanesa Climate Champions program, which invests $2 million annually to support those on the front lines of climate change, these grants highlight the role Canadian colleges play as hubs for collaborative applied research to tackle pressing environmental issues.

“Addressing climate change requires collective action and bold ideas,” said Mitchell McEwen, Director of Sustainability, Climate Resilience & Community Impact at Wawanesa. “Through our partnership with C2R2, Wawanesa is proud to empower these young climate leaders and help bring their innovative solutions to life. By working together, we’re strengthening our communities and building a safer, healthier, and more sustainable future.”

To learn more about the Wawanesa Climate Champions: Youth Innovation Grants, visit resilientcolleges.ca/youth-innovation-grants/

About Canadian Colleges for a Resilient Recovery (C2R2)

Canadian Colleges for a Resilient Recovery (C2R2) is a coalition of 14highly aligned colleges, cégeps and polytechnics across Canada with an established commitment to sustainability. The coalition members have come together as a driving force, providing the skills required to transition to a clean economy in Canada. C2R2’s administration and secretariat are located at Mohawk College in Hamilton. For more information, visit www.resilientcolleges.ca.

About The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company

The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company, founded in 1896, is one of Canada’s largest mutual insurers, with over $4 billion in annual revenue and assets of $11.5 billion. Wawanesa Mutual, with its National Headquarters in Winnipeg, is the parent company of Wawanesa Life, which provides life insurance products and services throughout Canada, and Western Financial Group, which distributes personal and business insurance across Canada. Wawanesa proudly serves more than 1.8 million members in Canada. The company actively gives back to organizations that strengthen communities, donating more than $3.5 million annually to charitable organizations, including over $2 million annually in support of people on the front lines of climate change. Learn more at wawanesa.com.

For more information:

Sean Coffey
Director, Communications
Mohawk College
905-575-2127
sean.coffey@mohawkcollege.ca

Michel Rosset
Manager, Corporate Communications & Media Relations
The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company
media@wawanesa.com

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