As a member of the UN Academic Impact (UNAI), Laurier is committed to working toward the attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In fact, Laurier was ranked by Times Higher Education (THE) among the top 15 percent of global universities working toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). See the many ways that you can create impact as a changemaker, through the UN SDGs.
Laurier is one of only five Ashoka Changemaker Campuses in Canada, a coveted international designation that affirms our status as a global leader in entrepreneurship and social innovation education.
As an AshokaU Changemaker Campus Laurier is part of the larger Ashoka network. Ashoka’s mission is to identify and support the world's leading social entrepreneurs, learn from the patterns in their innovations, and mobilize a global community that embraces these new frameworks to build an "everyone a changemaker world."
Laurier has a rich history of changemaking with students, faculty, and alumni. Build your changemaking toolkit while at Laurier and become the changemaker you were meant to be.
To start on your changemaking journey, the first step is to build your changemaking toolkit. Starting with the Ashoka Changemaker Index Assessment, this quick five-minute self-assessment will reveal your strengths and areas for growth as a Changemaker. Remember everyone can be a changemaker, you just have to want to make a difference in the world.
At Laurier, we offer lots of opportunities for building your changemaking toolkit.
To take your changemaking to the next level, you can enhance your degree with a minor or option related to changemaking. Find out more about what you can work toward that promote innovative thinking and purpose-driven activity. These opportunities are available to all students at Laurier.
Dig deeper with different courses you can take alongside your degree that will help you build the fundamental skills to tackle global challenges, create innovative solutions, and explore how you can take entrepreneurial action to make a positive change in the world.
To truly become a changemaker you’ll need to get your feet wet and try out your changemaking skills. There are lots of opportunities at Laurier where you can engage with other innovators and entrepreneurial thinkers who want to build a better world. Check out the diverse ways that you can experiment, play with different ideas, and get creative.
Throughout the year there are a number of different activities happening on campus that will provide you with opportunities to experience what it means to be a changemaker. Check out the Changemaker Events calendar to see what’s coming up.
There are many clubs on campus where you can engage in changemaking activity. Join a club with other students that care about the same issues as you do, and share your interests and passions. One way to dive right in and try your hand at changemaking is to join Laurier’s award winning Enactus team.
Interested in seeing what you can make, and testing your potential ideas through prototyping? Head to our maker spaces on the Waterloo campus to make it happen.
On the Brantford campus if you’re looking to meet and collaborate with other like-minded students and community partners developing purpose-driven solutions to community challenges, make your way over to the Laurier Hub for Community Solutions.
Ready to take the next step? Join one of our incubators to receive support from industry experts, faculty, and fellow students, who are actively involved in championing purpose-driven change, to bring your changemaking ideas to life.
Check out our Changemaker events and get inspired, meet people, learn more, and develop your changemaking abilities. These events can also be added to your Laurier Experience Record and shared with future employers. Earn an ‘Educated’, ‘Engaged’, and/or ‘Active’ Changemaker experience on your Laurier Experience Record.
See our Changemaker calendar to get a full view of what's coming up. We've highlighted some upcoming events, so make sure you save the date.
Laura Allan, Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
