A multi-disciplinary team of students from St. Clair College has earned two first-place finishes and one second-place finish at the 2026 Enactus Canada Central Regional Exposition in Toronto, Ont.
The competition featured more than 2,000 students from 29 universities and colleges in the central region of Canada.
St. Clair's Enactus teams earned a first-place finish in the Desjardins Youth Empowerment and the Enactus Alumni Impact & Innovation challenges, while also securing second place in the Canadian Tire Environmental Sustainability challenge.
"In a year that brought a lot of new challenges, we didn't hold back; we stepped up and exceeded expectations," said Evan Holmes, the president of St. Clair Enactus. "The way everyone showed up for each other and gave it everything they had is something I'm really proud of, and it showed what's possible when a team is all in."
"That mindset is what made the experience so meaningful, and we're only getting started as we get ready to represent St. Clair on the national stage," said Holmes.
"What makes this team exceptional isn't just their ideas – it's their commitment to creating real, measurable impact in our community," said Michael Spadotto, a faculty advisor with the teams. "They don't just identify problems; they take ownership of solutions."
Students represented St. Clair programs, including Marketing, Human Resources Management, Electromechanical Engineering Technician - Robotics, Mobile Applications Development, Business Finance, Esthetician, Early Childhood Education, Nursing, and the Honours Bachelor of Applied Arts in Social Justice & Legal Studies.
"This diversity has been a key strength in developing innovative and impactful projects," said Prof. Spadotto.
"These competitions provide teams an opportunity to showcase how their community outreach projects, and business ventures are making an impact," said a write-up on the Enactus website. "Through rounds of live, presentation-based competitions, business leaders serving as judges determine which Enactus teams and student entrepreneurs will be named Regional Champions and move on to the final rounds of competition held at the Enactus Canada National Exposition."
"The competitive process, along with additional programming, provides an opportunity for collaboration and best practices sharing, fosters innovation, encourages results, and rewards excellence in entrepreneurial, community leadership."
The winning entries - Sparkerz
One of the flagship initiatives, Sparkerz, addresses a critical challenge facing our region. In Windsor-Essex, approximately one in four youth grow up in low-income households, limiting early access to mentorship, career awareness, and opportunity.
Sparkerz was created to close this gap by introducing youth to career pathways at an early age, when confidence and aspirations are still being formed. In collaboration with six after-school programs, the students deliver free, hands-on career exploration programs directly within the communities that need them most.
Each session introduces youth to real career pathways through St. Clair College student mentors, followed by interactive activities such as robotics builds, esthetics design, and emergency response simulations. These experiences are designed to move beyond awareness, helping youth see themselves in future careers and believe those paths are achievable.
By focusing on youth ages 6–12, Sparkerz intervenes at a critical stage of development, helping shape confidence before limitations take hold. What began as a single workshop has grown into a scalable model now operating across multiple community centres.
Impact to date:
- 6 community centre partnerships
- 25 student mentors engaged
- 190+ youth directly impacted
- Programs aligned with 3 UN Sustainable Development Goals
The impact extends beyond the numbers. Youth gain confidence and exposure, community centres are strengthened through enriched programming, and our student mentors develop leadership and purpose. Most importantly, we are helping shape a future where opportunity is not limited by circumstance.
"I'm very grateful we were given the opportunity to compete project Sparkerz. This initiative has made a meaningful impact on youth across Windsor-Essex, seeing students engaged with our mentors and excited about discovering career paths they never knew existed is what makes this work so rewarding," said Lauren Bayn, the Project Manager for Sparkerz.
"I'm truly honored to be named regional champions and look forward to using these resources to expand our program and reach even more youth," Bayn said.
ReCharge Project
In addition, the ReCharge Project addresses one of the fastest-growing sources of hazardous e-waste, disposable vaping devices. Canadians dispose of approximately two million kilograms of lithium-ion batteries from these devices annually, with very limited recycling infrastructure in place.
Through campus research, we identified that while 60 per cent of students reported using vapes, only 6 per cent disposed of them properly. In response, we launched a collection initiative, recovering over 75 devices in just three days, demonstrating clear demand for a safe disposal solution.
ReCharge repurposes these discarded batteries into functional portable power banks. By integrating support from engineering and robotics students, we've developed a safe and scalable process to test, sort, and reuse viable cells. Our prototype produces a 5,000 mAh power bank, capable of charging a smartphone one to two times – transforming waste into a practical energy solution.
ReCharge Impact:
- 1,600+ student hours invested
- 76 vaping devices diverted from landfills
- 10 kg of greenhouse gas emissions prevented
- 141 students directly engaged
- 3,100+ individuals reached through awareness initiatives
"Through ReCharge, we didn't just identify a growing environmental problem—we built a solution," said John Beverly, project manager for ReCharge. "Turning hazardous e-waste into usable energy has shown me that as students, we have the ability to lead real, scalable change."
"These results are a true reflection of the dedication, collaboration, and commitment our students have demonstrated throughout the year," said Spadotto, who teaches Marketing at the College.
"Real change doesn't come from ideas alone — it comes from students willing to take action, challenge the norm, and build solutions that uplift entire communities," said Thomas Forget, also a faculty advisor who teaches in the Electromechanical Engineering Technician - Robotics program.
Based on these outstanding achievements, these teams are now headed to the National Competition from May 6 to 8 in Montreal, QC.