During late spring and summer of 2023, Laurel joined our team as our Climate Action Engineer, running the pilot of our latest Climate Action Challenge Kit in partnership with Oshawa Centre. This Challenge Kit explored how mall property teams could make the mall environmentally sustainable.
Property teams at shopping centres want to contribute to reducing their environmental footprint, in terms of limiting how much waste is generated, how much carbon is produced and how much energy and water is used. They also want to create a space that supports health and well-being, along with biodiversity and ecosystem health. Property teams are trying to do as much as they can within the spaces where they have control.
During the Oshawa Centre pilot, students were able to recommend incredible options to the Oshawa Centre team! These ideas included converting the top level of the parking garage into a community garden and more.
We were so impressed by the students during the pilot that we hired two as summer interns to refine the Challenge Kit and create a series of resources to expand student understanding moving forward. Leading this team of summer interns was our fearless (unless it’s heights) and brilliant Laurel. As our summer interns had just finished Grade 9 this was their first office job, and Laurel got to teach them skills and give them advice they will carry on in their future roles and eventually their careers.
As Laurel said in her application to the RJS Scholarship, “Integrative Thinking has really allowed me to change my mindset and outlook on problem solving in every aspect of life.” Laurel has embraced Integrative Thinking in a way that has transformed how she moves through life and has transformed our work through our collaborations with her.