Welcome To Green Contributor!
For those who are interested in knowing more about Green Contributor, we would like to explain who we are and what we do.GreenContributor Inc. Is a Canadian-based organization and an initiative that was founded by George Koshy, who wanted to create a synergy between Environment, Education and Marketing. In 2010 we organized our pilot program in partnership with the University of Erlangen in Nuremberg, Germany. In this qualitive research project, participants attempted to gain an understanding of the way their peers, i.e. students from different countries, view climate change and an understanding of their perspective and ideas on the causes and effects of this phenomenon on a local, regional and (inter)national level.
Since then, GreenContributor has worked with hundreds of schools from over 30 countries, offering programs where students get a unique opportunity to explore a range of topics addressing contemporary environmental challenges first-hand. We have expanded our programs to include students from universities and business schools, and have broadened the scope of our projects to include multiple countries in several continents. Moreover, we added entrepreneurial internships, volunteer programs and the sale of handmade products to our list of enterprises.
Unfortunately, due to Covid our projects had come to a stand-still. However, since 2022 we have started things back up and now we are happy to present to you our new and improved programs.
George Koshy – CEO and Founder of GreenContributor
Some students
Our educational tours combine tourism, educational activities and green practices. They provide a mutually beneficial means to communicate, share and exchange information concerning environment related topics, such as (plastic) pollution, fossil fuels, renewable energy, ecological self-sufficiency and sustainability. We design the tours and activities in such a way that students learn about and get involved in environmental and green initiatives. Through interaction with startups, businesses, schools and other organizations and individuals, students get the opportunity to showcase their talents and generate ideas.
Some programs also offer students the chance to participate in environmental research based projects, in which they can improve their academic and creative skills. Through tasks and case studies, the students are challenged to take action in addressing real problems, find solutions that can be implemented locally and globally. Of course there will be plenty of time for fun and leisure in between; GreenContributor makes sure to take the groups sightseeing around the city/cities and give them cultural experiences, so that the students learn about the histories and societies of the countries they are visiting. Our programs are flexible and customized; our trips are carefully planned, but also offer the freedom to do what you want and create your own unique experience.
GreenContributor is continuously in the process of rebuilding programs and projects. We are constantly looking for new schools to enroll and for more countries to include in our list of destinations. If your school is interested in collaborating with us, please write us via email. If you have any questions in regard to our current programs, please check our FAQ page or feel free to contact us.
Over the years, GreenContributor has organized diverse programs in different fields. A number of examples:
- The International Youth Summit: this focused on plastic pollution and its impacts on marine life and ecosystems. Students received advanced training from experts in leadership, public speaking, community engagement, art, science and film-making. Participants were asked to come up with action-oriented solutions to reduce plastic waste globally.
- Global Impact Program: GreenContributor designed an entrepreneurship program to work with start-ups and entrepreneurs in different countries, one of which was in collaboration with a solar bike inventor.
- Multiple program Community Project: this was part of an effort to transform a community with no resources and skills through solutions that are self-sustaining and also generate revenues for social entrepreneurs. Students helped construct multi-use blocks and eco-toilets, and assisted in the implementation of sustainable farming and rainwater harvesting.
- Solar School & E-learning Project: a real world community development and service experience to transform a school in a rural region with no access to electricity and equip it with solar powered classrooms and connect it to e-learning with educators globally.
- Eco Restoration and Sustainable Habitat Project: Learning and action oriented program supporting ecological literacy and introducing participants to the environmental issues impacting communities. Students helped with a range of activities from field study to workshops. The students also examined the interrelationships between the application of eco-literacy in the community, the environment, and society. Thereby they increased their own scientific and environmental literacy as well.
- Biogas Program: a project for a Masai homestead in remote rural Kenya in which students did an exercise with biogas fueled equipment to keep food dry and preserve it over longer period of time.
Student travel programs organized by GreenContibutor aim first and foremost to broaden students’ perspectives and skill sets, allowing them to gain practical insights and real-world experiences. Our initiatives invest in their personal and professional development, which can serve their recruitment at companies and organizations when starting their working careers. By offering these opportunities, GreenContributor is empowering the next generation of leaders by guiding students to unleash their potential and talents.
With all of our undertakings, GreenContributor seeks to create a new community that is “empowered with green character through green behavior”. People participate in green activities for various reasons. It can be a fashion statement or status symbol, it can be due to peer pressure, or because of altruistic and biosphere consideration (considering the environmental consequences for all worlds ecosystem). We try to promote and develop green character with our clients by using the projects they participate in as benchmarks, by giving them acknowledgement for their participation and by making them aware of the facts in regard to the environment and the need for its preservation. By learning about the green initiatives we introduce them to, we hope to motivate students and volunteers to become ambassadors for change.
Another intended outcome of our projects is to increase social and community involvement. We build relationships with the local communities that are part of our projects and tours and we help them to benefit from our trips. Moreover, through our partnerships and connections with educational institutions, companies and civil society organizations, we hope students and volunteers broaden their knowledge and network, to find their own ways of addressing the issues that impact communities. One example is through entrepreneurship; example of a student that actually did so?
Ultimately, any way we can influence people’s behavior that brings us closer to achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals is a step forward to us. So please, come join us in this endeavour as we prove to the world that all you need is just the beliefs and we can move mountains!
To learn more about our bags and other handmade products, please check out www.greencontributor.org.