SIFE – Nipissing earns rookie championship

Congratulations to the SIFE – Nipissing team, on winning the National Rookie Championship last week at the National SIFE competition in Calgary, Alberta.  And, kudos to professor Dianne Davis, Faculty Advisor for SIFE – Nipissing on receiving the John Dobson ACE Fellowship Award in recognition for her outstanding contributions to ACE.

SIFE – Nipissing was at the event competing in the National Rookie division, as well as the Overall Division, which included 49 other university and college SIFE teams from across Canada.  Nipissing’s team certainly played the role of underdog, with eight members competing against some teams with more than 100 members.

In the overall division, SIFE – Nipissing advanced to the semifinals, putting them in the top ten in Canada.

Judges noted that the SIFE - Nipissing team excelled in the triple bottom line that SIFE stands behind: Social, Environmental and Economic impact with their "Back to the Tap" campaign.  That campaign saw the team selling water bobbles and raising awareness about the environmental impact of disposable water bottles.  Since February 2012, SIFE – Nipissing sold 600 water bobbles. Each water bobble can effectively replace 300 single use water bottles, meaning SIFE – Nipissing has saved potentially 180,000 single use water bottles.

SIFE - Nipissing formed in November 2011 with 20 students.  Mylae Costello works as the Nipissing Advisor, Davis as Faculty Advisor and Preston Aitken is the Regional Manager.

“What a tremendous experience for our students,” said Davis.  “This type of learning cannot be encapsulated in a textbook or learned in a lecture hall.  It was more than pooks and bobbles, it was about making a difference.”

SIFE – Nipissing will be installing our first water bottle refilling station, by the Nipissing Cafeteria, this summer.  

“The team did a fantastic job!” said Costello.  “Special thanks to the Nipissing community, in particular Casey Phillips, Dr. Rick Vanderlee, Dr. Sharon Rich, Bob Keech and Bob Carpenter.  And thanks to our sponsors Vikas Poni Liquid Tech North Bay and Enterprise Rent-a-Car.”

Check them out on Facebook: www.facebook.com/sifenipissing