Southampton students to represent the University at the 2016 Ryerson Social Innovation xCHANGE in Canada

Four students have been selected to represent the University at the Ryerson Social Innovation xCHANGE in Toronto, Canada, on 30th and 31st January 2016.

 

Four students have been selected to represent the University at the 2016 Ryerson Social Innovation xCHANGE in Toronto. Lloyd Turner, Jimmie Westwood and Kathryn Seager are third year graphic designers at the Winchester School of Art, while Stanley Palmer is a foundation year engineer. The xCHANGE takes place on 30th and 31st January at Ryerson University, and will involve a weekend of intense competition between teams made up of students from Ryerson, Southampton, and the University of Waterloo.

 

The xCHANGE brings together creative problem solvers to work on viable, sustainable and innovative projects around the theme of ‘Urban Engagement and City Building’. Students will work towards designing a social enterprise over the two days, and will pitch their idea to a judging panel, who will then select the best project on the basis of its potential to create social change. The winning team will turn their idea into a reality with the help of experienced social entrepreneurs at Ryerson.

 

Southampton’s four representatives have already demonstrated their ability and passion for social innovation; to win a place in Toronto, they took part in the Social Innovation Challenge - a one day social impact competition hosted by the Social Impact Lab. During the day, ten student teams worked on projects to improve student life, which they pitched to a panel including Simon Kemp from Sustainability Action, Paul Brindley from Waitrose, Jake Davies from Enactus, Catherine Mitchell from Southampton Hub and SUSU President Ben Franklin. Lloyd, Jimmie and Kathryn drew upon their ability to think innovatively and creatively, as well as their excellent pitching skills, to emerge as winners with their idea “Loop”; a wearable safety device.