A team from Saint Mary’s University will travel to Kazakhstan in three weeks to compete in the World Cup finals of the Enactus student entrepreneurship competition, for which it has already won the Canadian division.

Founded in 1975 and based in New York, Enactus is a global network of charity and experiential learning programs for post-secondary students, with a particular focus on social entrepreneurship.

When the SMU team won the Enactus Canada competition for the first time last spring, they bested 49 other schools. At the World Cup in Kazakhstan’s capital of Astana, slated to be held from Oct. 1 to 4, there will be 33 other teams competing for the US$50,000 top prize.

The SMU competitors won the national competition with the help of two projects, dubbed Plastarch and Square Roots. Plastarch involves a biodegradable plastic packaging product for restaurants made from potato skins, while Square Roots is an initiative to reduce food waste by repurposing product discarded by stores or restaurants because of visual imperfections.

“Placing first at the Enactus Canada National Exposition for the first time in Saint Mary's history could not have been possible without the support from all the members and alumni who are part of the Enactus Canada Network, Saint Mary's University, and most of all, the community,” SMU organizers Susan MacInnis and Paige Bigelow said jointly at the time.

“As we prepare to represent Team Canada at the World Cup in October, we are honoured and excited to continue our impact, fuelled by collaboration and a shared commitment to positive change.”