ideas without borders

Enjoy this episode on reading and it's perks! For any questions or concerns, reach out to s2shahri@uwaterloo.ca to get in touch with Maisha.  For all your online library needs: https://openlibrary.org/ YouTube Channel for Algorithms: https://www.youtube.com/@abdul_bari For your online homework help needs: https://www.khanacademy.org/

In this episode  we discuss Mother Child programs in the Corrections Service Canada with Dr. Carlie Leroux-Demir. We discuss what they are, how they work, how effective they are and what they can tell us about classism in Canada.

They say 40% of the world’s food never makes it to feeding our populations. Surely we can’t be just tossing half of our groceries in the garbage all the time. Where are the missing meals? In this episode we dive into the reason farmers in sub-Saharan Africa are losing their harvested crop and the challenges of solving this issue. 

How much do you know about microplastics? What are people trying to do about them, and how can you get involved? In this episode, we sit down with our guest Karen Wirsig, the Plastics Program Manager for Environmental Defence to explore all about microplastics and how  Environmental Defence is trying to tackle the issue of microplastic pollution. Timestamps: 0:38 - Intro 2:56 - What are microplastics? 8:21 - What is Environmental Defence trying to do about microplastics? 15:20 - How far along are we in the plan to end plastic pollution? 16:58 - How to get involved? 18:08 - Wrap up Corrections: 9:29: harmless → harmful 16:04: 2020 → 2030 For more information on Environmental Defence and plastic pollution: https://environmentaldefence.ca/campaign/ending-plastic-pollution/ Karen Wirsig's blog: https://environmentaldefence.ca/blog/?blog=1331 Karen's email: kwirsig@environmentaldefence.ca Got feedback for Ideas Without Borders? Questions? Podcast ideas? Visit www.uwaterlooewb.wixsite.com/podcast

Take a gander at our episode all about how the pandemic impacted education and the general school experience.  0:10 - Intro  1:25 - Elementary School Perspective  4:25 - Middle School Perspective 7:14 - High School Perspective  13:15 - Household Dynamics 14:00 - Adjusting to an Online Setting 16:25 - University Perspective 18:30 - How to make the transition out of the pandemic easier

What is “impact”? How does it make us happy about what we do? Is there a way to ensure we are always making the difference we want to see? In this episode, several EWB UW chapter presidents join Simon in a (virtual) fireside chat to discuss the idea of Effective Altruism (EA) and their experiences with a Stanford University EA fellowship they recently completed. Episode Links & Resources: Learn more about the Effective Altruism Fellowship here: https://www.effectivealtruism.org/virtual-programs/introductory-program/ Contact Jeff for more inquiries at jeffraybehr@gmail.com Join the Waterloo Effective Altruism Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/EAWaterloo Peter Singher's Effective Altruism TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Diuv3XZQXyc The 80,000 hours Project: https://80000hours.org/ One-For-The-World Pledge: https://donational.org/oftw-waterloo For more information about our podcast, or if you have any feedback, questions, or episode ideas, please visit www.uwaterlooewb.wixsite.com/podcast

Around this time last year, there was an incredible outcry regarding discrimination against African Americans with regards to police brutality as a result of the inhumane and unjust murder of George Floyd. Many wrongful incidents just like this one were also documented, pushed to the forefront on social media and served as inspiration for this series. We'll be finishing this series on the Black perspective and we have 3 amazing guests who will be sharing their thoughts and opinions with you.  We hope that all of us gain a bit more perspective, understanding, and begin addressing our internalized biases.  Additional Resources to Learn More: Kevin Hart's Guide to Black History (on Netflix) 13th (on Netflix) Stamped From the Beginning (novel by Ibram X. Kendi)   

This episode focuses on the South Asian perspective and covers how media impacts colorism, stereotypes and there is also a bit of an analysis of what was shared at 21:20.  If you have any questions or comments about what we have discussed in this episode, feel free to reach out to Amilah and/or Sandra on Instagram. Amilah: @mimiavenge Sandra: @sandra.d_ Additional Resources: Patriot Act by Hasan Minhaj (You can find Hasan's show on Netflix!) The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri (You can find this book at your local library or book store!) Home Body by Rupi Kaur (This collection of poems truly highlights Rupi's experience as a child of diaspora!) 

Have you noticed how media portrays certain demographics of people? If you think about it a little, you might realize that religious minorities like Muslims are usually on the receiving end of negative media representations and here is an episode all about it.  If you have any questions about the discussion we had, feel free to reach out to Ayesha, Sobia, or Anusha on Instagram! Ayesha: @discarded_drafts Sobia: @sobiamahmood.art  Anusha: @anusha.alamgir To see some real/accurate representations of Muslims today check out @macmsamirror on Instagram and the novel The Translator by Leila Aboulela!  To see some more positive representation of Muslims, feel free to do a quick Google search for Ibtihaj Muhammad, Linda Sarsour, and  Huda Quhshi. To learn more about Islam, search for the works of Dr. Imam Omar Suleiman, Nouman Ali Khan, Yasmin Mogahed, and Mufti Menk.  References: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWtOlwv3Qg8 Music from: https://www.bensound.com/

Recently, there has been an overwhelming outcry on social media regarding media inaccuracies, how these inaccuracies perpetuate negative stereotypes and lead to discrimination. For this reason, we've created a 4-part series on media narratives and systemic discrimination to shed some light on these issues and learn more about one another.  This episode is about the East Asian perspective and honestly, I learned a lot! If you would like to talk to either Khanh or Toby regarding anything we discussed in this episode, feel free to reach out to them on Instagram! Khanh:  @khanh.ns.dinh Toby:  @t0bylii To learn more about East Asian issues, Toby has provided some great resources you can find on Instagram!  @nextshark @asianfeed @representasianproject Music from: https://www.bensound.com/

Why are some people getting vaccinated before others? When is it my turn? This episode is a digest of two expert panels about COVID-19 vaccine distributions. Here, we explicitly define a vaccine supply chain and explore its human aspects with guest and Medical Geographer Dr. Susan Elliot. The two panels were recorded and are available online: UW Alumni Speaker Series panel: Supply Chains in Times of Crisis - The COVID-19 Vaccine Journey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAwuFcBYL5w CCGHR Global Health Round Table Series: Vaccines, Trade, COVID & Equity https://youtu.be/9SWpGOhJo4Y Making Sense of Science - an organization dedicated to championing public interest in sound science and ensuring evidence is recognised in public life and policy making: https://senseaboutscience.org/

The distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine is an exciting topic for everyone. This episode will discuss the basics of all of the available vaccines, common concerns, and how to address misinformation. Find some of our sources below: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/27/2/20-3139_article https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/vaccines https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/covid19-industry/drugs-vaccines-treatments/vaccines/type-mrna.htm https://www.vaccines.gov/basics/work/prevention For more information about our podcast, or if you have any feedback, questions, or episode ideas, please visit www.uwaterlooewb.wixsite.com/podcast.

This interview with Jeff Geipel, the Founder and Managing Director of Mining Shared Value (an initiative of Engineers Without Borders Canada), discusses harnessing the social and economic benefits of mining for host communities and countries through increasing local procurement in the global mining industry. 

Are you curious about what happens after you throw things in your Blue Box? This episode talks about the new extended producer responsibility (EPR) proposal in Ontario, the economics behind recycling, the new compostable plastics, the limits of recycling glass, how recycling is affected by consumer behavior and more! Special thanks to Linda Churchill from the Region of Waterloo, and Rob Reid from the University of Waterloo.  Any feedback? Questions? Contact us at https://uwaterlooewb.wixsite.com/podcast/contact Contact Rob Reid at rj2reid@uwaterloo.ca, or watch his course lecture videos on solid waste at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLr4lo0bukvC0KCPcQotblg

Youth homelessness is an issue that can be hard for many people to grasp. What is homelessness? How does it differ for youth? What are its causes? What can be done? What misconceptions do we hold? In this episode, Vanessa tackles these questions with Sandy Dietrich-Bell, the CEO of oneROOF Youth Services, in Waterloo. They chat about root causes, biases, and the challenges that must be faced in helping youth experiencing homelessness. You can support oneROOF by participating in EWB UWaterloo's Shelter a Youth Fundraiser raffle, open until March 25. Or, check out oneROOF's website for ways to help! Any feedback? Questions? Contact us at https://uwaterlooewb.wixsite.com/podcast/contact

This is the last episode in our series covering global student perspectives of the COVID-19 lockdowns. What's life like for students on the other side of the Zoom screen? In this episode, Vanessa, Chloe, and Rafael discuss difficulties affording education, refusal to wear masks, changes in the job market, and more! Any feedback? Questions? Contact us at https://uwaterlooewb.wixsite.com/podcast/contact

This is the second-last episode in our series covering global student perspectives of the COVID-19 lockdowns. In this episode, Simcha talks to Nir, a high school student in Yokne'am. We talk about making Lego stop motion films, avoiding cheating while taking tests online, staying positive, the difficulties of making friends and more! Any feedback? Questions? Contact us at https://uwaterlooewb.wixsite.com/podcast/contact

This is another episode of our series covering the perspectives of students around the world about the COVID-19 related lockdowns. In this episode, Michael sits down with Anthony to talk about how education works for practical vs. theoretical courses, living arrangements, getting distracted, socializing, and more.  Any feedback? Questions? Contact us at https://uwaterlooewb.wixsite.com/podcast/contact

This is another episode in our series covering student experiences through COVID-19 lockdowns around the world. Join Munira and Oorjit to discuss loneliness, staying active, and the student visa scare in the United States.  Any feedback? Questions? Contact us at https://uwaterlooewb.wixsite.com/podcast/contact

This is another episode in our series covering student experiences through COVID-19 lockdowns around the world. Today, Vanessa, Chloe, and JoAnn are discussing the impacts on the pandemic and the lockdown on students in India. Join us as we discuss mental health, government inaction, and the unbalanced impact of a lockdown.  Any feedback? Questions? Contact us at https://uwaterlooewb.wixsite.com/podcast

This is another episode in our series covering student experiences through COVID-19 lockdowns around the world. Join Matt and Godwin for a discussion about the impacts of the Covid 19 pandemic on life in Uganda. Explore the the impacts of lockdowns and how they are interconnected to business and livelihoods, food supply, internet connectivity, politics, education and more. Any feedback? Questions? Contact us at https://uwaterlooewb.wixsite.com/podcast

This is another episode in our series covering student experiences through COVID-19 lockdowns around the world. Today, we sit down with Munira, an international student from Dubai currently living in Canada. We talk about homesickness, burnout, access to the vaccine and more! Any feedback? Questions? Contact us at https://uwaterlooewb.wixsite.com/podcast/contact

This is the first episode in a series covering student experiences through COVID-19 lockdowns around the world. What's life like for students on the other side of the Zoom screen? Today, we're speaking with Lia, a student at Beijing Sport University about the course of the pandemic, impacts on her life as a student, and her plans for the future. Any feedback? Questions? Contact us at https://uwaterlooewb.wixsite.com/podcast/contact

Want to learn more about climate change and how we can help? Check out this Global Engineering Week featured podcast! Featuring:  Michelle Angkasa: Sustainable Campus Initiative, Enviroment and Business Undergraduate Student Brooklyn Rushton: BSc Wildlife Biology & Conservation, Masters of Climate Change Candidate, Climate Students Lesley Johnston: Fossil Free UW, PhD. Candidate School of Public Health and Health Systems

As the academic world shifts to a fully-online delivery mode for classes amid this pandemic, we are joined by professors Andrea Scott and Mohammed Nassar to discuss their experience with online teaching for a term with engineering students at the University of Waterloo. We discuss the challenges with remote content delivery, student engagement, and some interesting patterns that they noticed forming among their classes as the term progressed. As well, they offer advice for professors and students who are about to enter their first fully-online school term.

From firewood to solar lanterns, we explore the role of entrepreneurs in making energy cleaner, accessible, and affordable in Uganda. In this episode Simon chats with Marvin Tumusiime from ENVenture, a part of New Energy Nexus, about Uganda's energy landscape and what ENVenture is doing to help Community-Based Organizations increase access to clean energy tech in the last mile. Interested in learning more? Links mentioned throughout this episode follow below: Follow New Energy Nexus Website: https://www.newenergynexus.com/ Slack Channel: http://bit.ly/joinNEnetwork Follow ENVenture online: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ENVenture Twitter: https://twitter.com/NewEnergyNexus Website: enventureenterprises.org Website blog: enventureenterprises.org/blog Business Development Fellowships: https://www.enventureenterprises.org/businessfellows

Solar panels, water filters, and cook stoves in a cultural shift towards accessible clean energy: Chapter president (A-stream) Mandy Coleman chats with Simon about her experiences in working as a Business Development Fellow with ENVenture in Kampala, Uganda during one of the co-op work terms as part of her undergraduate engineering degree. More information about the Queen Elizabeth Scholars program can be found at https://queenelizabethscholars.ca/

Now that we've explored the Energy Access Sector through the WISE Innovation Lab interviews, Simon takes us through some more interview clips that detail ways for students to get involved with the Energy Sector. Innovation Lab Interviewees also share some life advice for undergraduates seeking to figure out "the next steps" of their careers. We hope you have enjoyed this three-part episode on the Energy Sector and wish you happy holidays. Stay tuned for more episodes to come! --- LINKS TO REFERENCES IN THE EPISODE: Fellowships with PollinateGroup as mentioned by Kristy Dixon: http://pollinategroup.org/programs/  Ambika Opal's Recommendations for ways to get involved in Waterloo: Sustainable Waterloo Region - https://www.sustainablewaterlooregion.ca/ Waterloo Region Green Solutions (REEP) -  https://reepgreen.ca/ Queen Elisabeth Scholar's Program: https://ae4h.org/projects/qes  More questions about Energy and QES program? Email Jatin Nathwani, Executive Director of WISE: nathwani@uwaterloo.ca Check out Jabesh and MUSE Africa: https://museafrica.com/category/podcast/ --- For a complete list of Innovation Lab participants and more information on the conference, visit https://ae4h.org/projects/innovation_lab_current/innovation_lab_2019 --- Feedback? Questions for us? Wanting to collaborate in an episode? Contact us here: https://www.facebook.com/ewbuw/

In this episode we welcome Koreen, Katie and Alina, to share with us their personal experiences working as Junior Fellows in Ghana. The Junior Fellowship Program selects aspiring Canadian students to contribute their innovative ideas on solutions to our worlds development needs, through social change in Canada and Africa. Join us in this podcast to learn more about the Junior Fellowship Program, and hear each of the JF’s life changing experiences! If you would like to learn more about the JF program please visit: https://www.ewb.ca/en/what-we-do/investing-in-people/junior-fellowship/

Conflicts are inevitable and everywhere, but why do they occur? What kinds of engagements and interactions do the different student demographics on campus experience and what are their influences? Where are these interactions mostly available? In the face of an apparent disparity between social groups today, we ask the question of whether trying to establish a middle ground for safe and productive dialogues is even possible. “Is Finding Middle Ground Too Profound?” was a campus event hosted by The Masters of Peace and Conflicts Society (MPACS), Muslim Students Association (MSA), and EWB UW back in March of 2019. This event was facilitated as a first step towards promoting healthy interactions and perspective exchange between students from different programs and groups on campus. In face-to-face discussion circles, participants shared their views on: how to make the campus a more inclusive space How we can establish safe and productive dialogues between increasingly polarized political views and the mechanisms exist for doing so Join Simon, Stella, and Simmi in this episode as they listen to and reflect on the points raised during this well-received event. If you are interested in attending an event such as this one, send us a message! We’re excited to arrange another one: https://www.facebook.com/ewbuw/ More on Masters of Peace and Conflicts Studies: Masters of Peace and Conflicts Program: https://uwaterloo.ca/master-peace-conflict-studies/ MPACS events: https://uwaterloo.ca/master-peace-conflict-studies/events MPACS facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mpacssocietyuwaterloo/

Are you confused about voting? Or interested in learning about the party platforms? In this podcast episode, Thea will be interviewing Kirsten Neil, a representative from Future Majority, who answers these inquiries and stresses the importance of young adults voting in the federal election. Keep listening to learn more about the Canadian electoral process from Bailey, Kelvin, Shannon and Anna,  as well as what you need to know about each platform in order to make an educated vote.  For more information about the federal election visit: https://govotecanada.ca and to learn more about voting at the University of Waterloo visit: https://uwaterloo.ca/waterloo-undergraduate-student-association/events/federal-election-student-voting-polls

In this mini-podcast episode, Maisha interviews Professor Giannikouris about her experiences in STEM and offers insightful views on very important matters.

In this mini-podcast episode, Aysha interviews Waterloo's Engineering Society President, Mariko. She opens up about her experiences and offers insightful opinions on the issue of gender imbalance in STEM.

In this mini-podcast episode, Scarlett interviews a fellow UWaterloo engineering student (who also happens to be her sister) and she shares her experiences in the STEM field through her co-ops.

In this interview, Amilah interviews Professor Meunier on her experiences in STEM, balancing motherhood with her career and the important support system that she received from her family. 

In this mini-podcast episode, Aysha interviews Professor MacGregor about her personal experiences in STEM and she gives some incredible insight on some very important matters.

Have you ever been curious as to why it is  difficult for women to pursue or be in STEM? In this podcast episode, we talk about many important factors in this issue, including impostor syndrome, nature versus nurture and personal experiences about the struggles in this male-dominated field. The episode also carries on in 5 mini episodes, where we share our interviews with many incredible women in STEM. 

Episode Summary Part 2 of this episode explores the Energy Access sector through interviews with experts to get a sense of existing challenges today. Key terms such as "Social Value" and "Productive Use" of energy are defined by these experts, along with their personal metrics for measuring success in providing energy access.  --- Preface Approximately 1 billion people in the world today live without access to the energy required for basic life functions such as cooking and seeing at night. The Affordable Energy 4 Humanity (AE4H) Innovation Lab 2019 dedicated three days to bring some of the world's top energy experts together to establish global networks and start collaborations for today's increasingly complex energy access challenges.  EWB UW had the privilege of attending and interviewing some of these experts in search of insights on what it means to work in Energy Access today. Join us on a 3-part episode to learn about how Energy Access relates to development work, how you can get involved through co-op opportunities and fellowships, and the perspectives experts have on their work. --- Notable links: Listen to all the expert interviews in full here: https://ae4h.org/projects/innovation_lab_current/innovation_lab_2019#Podcast Co-op opportunities in the Energy Access sector through WISE and the Queen Elizabeth Scholars program: https://ae4h.org/projects/qes Do you like these kinds of episodes? Do you have something to share with us about an event or organization? Send us a message here: https://www.facebook.com/ewbuw/

Episode Summary Part 1 of this episode introduces the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE), and builds context on the AE4H project as well how the Innovation Lab conferences were designed.  --- Preface Approximately 1 billion people in the world today live without access to the energy required for basic life functions such as cooking and seeing at night. The Affordable Energy 4 Humanity (AE4H) Innovation Lab 2019 dedicated three days to bring some of the world's top energy experts together to establish global networks and start collaborations for today's increasingly complex energy access challenges.  EWB UW had the privilege of attending and interviewing some of these experts in search of insights on what it means to work in Energy Access today. Join us on a 3-part episode to learn about how Energy Access relates to development work, how you can get involved through co-op opportunities and fellowships, and the perspectives experts have on their work. --- Notable links: Do you like these kinds of episodes? Do you have something to share with us about an event or organization? Send us a message here: https://www.facebook.com/ewbuw/ Listen to all the expert interviews in full here: https://ae4h.org/projects/innovation_lab_current/innovation_lab_2019#Podcast Co-op opportunities in the Energy Access sector through WISE and the Queen Elizabeth Scholars program: https://ae4h.org/projects/qes

Have you ever been accused of a characteristic based on the generation you are from? Do you ever feel the lines are blurred when identifying yourself as a part of certain generation? This new episode of Ideas Without Borders for the Spring 2019 term kicks off with our executive team discussing about Millennials and Generation  Z, the struggles they are facing in the real world, how they are coping with all the harsh criticism of previous generations, and tackling the validity of common stereotypes against them.  A great big thanks to Mr. Scott Holmes for his song 'Driven to Success' in our podcast. For more details about his music, please contact him by:   https://scottholmesmusic.com/ 

As part of EWB's Kumvana Fellowship Program, the Waterloo Chapter had the opportunity of hosting Fiona Otieno, a Lead Customer Engagement Associate at M-Shule (mobile - Shule, "Shule" is Swahili for school). UW EWB's Kumvana Portfolio arranged a one week itinerary for Fiona, dedicated to meeting related industry partners, social impact incubators, and like-minded individuals here in Waterloo to support her work back at M-Shule. Join us in this podcast to learn more about the Kumvana Program, and hear how Fiona's journey in improving the education system in Kenya led to her current involvement at M-Shule, one of Africa's most innovative education solutions.  Do you have some questions? Would you like to contact Fiona? Send her an email at  fiona.otieno@m-shule.com  and mention that you heard of her from this podcast episode!

This episode explores what chapter members are up to following their EWB experience.  Featuring former chapter co-President Emman Haider, a 4th year systems design engineering student, EWB UW takes a closer look into the Canadian Indigenous Housing Crisis via Pulse Home - an engineering capstone project that is quickly growing into a social enterprise dedicated to empowering First Nations communities in developing affordable, sustainable housing solutions on reserves.  Perspectives are shared between our chapter members and Emman, along with a discussion of the multi-faceted layers of the housing crisis on First Nations Reserves. Questions? Send us a message on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ewbuw/ 

Burnout is a common contributor to mental health issues for university students, but what is it exactly? In this episode we explore the types, causes, effects, and sources of burnout alongside prevention and self-management strategies by exploring the experiences of various EWB UW members.  Curious on learning more? Have a comment or question? Send us a message on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ewbuw/

Cannabis is legal in Canada. How will this affect the system revolving around weed in Canada? How will it affect the black market? What about youth? We take a closer look, and also call in an anonymous drug dealer for some more information. 

Students often experience mental health issues, but what kind of mental health issues are prevalent? What are the causes behind these issues, and what can people do to help? From weighing in various statistics to having a round-discussion between actual students, this podcast will make you ponder on various mental health topics and encourage people to discuss this important matter.

A vital part of systems analysis is seeing how feedback loops impact stocks and systems as a whole. In this final episode for the Spring term, the team looks at how bias can slip into everything, and how we can reduce its impact.

With the soon arriving ION Transportation System, how will this affect the system of transportation within Waterloo? How can we create a system that encourages sustainble transit?

Wonder why there's only Tim's on campus? Ever wish for healthier options? Why is it that we are stuck with an unhealthy food system? In this episode, we tackle all of these questions around the food system at the University of Waterloo.