Hamilton, Canada
Mechanical & Biomedical Engineering
McMaster University
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kobe-li-b07831213/
Bucharest, Romania
Economics and International Business
The Bucharest University of Economic Studies
Zurich, Switzerland
BSC in International Management
Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-oechslin-002742243
Calgary, Canada
BSc in Electrical Engineering with minors in Mechatronics, and Entrepreneurship and Enterprise
University of Calgary
https://www.linkedin.com/in/maliha-iftikhar/
<aside> 📽️ BridgED: One school. One student. One future at a time.
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In under-resourced communities across Porto Alegre, many high school students face systemic barriers to success, including limited access to quality education, mentorship, and career opportunities. These barriers disproportionately affect youth from low-income backgrounds, with only 41% completing high school by the age of 19 (Anuário Brasileiro Da Educação Básica 2021 – Rio Grande Do Sul, n.d.). Without exposure to relevant skills or professional networks, students are excluded from emerging sustainability-focused careers, such as energy engineering and management. Schools often lack funding and essential tools - such as computers, laptops, tablets, and ICT infrastructure - challenges that have been exacerbated by the 2024 floods (Giambruno, 2024). As a result, schools struggle to introduce modern, experiential curricula that address 21st-century environmental and economic challenges. Meanwhile, local companies remain disconnected from the education system, despite a growing need for young talent aligned with sustainability goals. This disconnect perpetuates inequality and hinders social, economic, and environmental sustainability.
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SDGs that out problem statement covers:
SDG 4: Quality Education, by empowering students in schools that lack the resources to present them with experiential learning opportunities.
SDG 8: Decent Work, through real-world learning tied to employment pathways
SDG 13: Climate Action, by equipping youth with the resources and skills to lead local sustainability solutions
SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, by promoting transparency, and youth voice.
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Source: data processed by the authors
BridgED is a scalable school–company partnership model designed to empower under-resourced high schools by integrating sustainability education with real-world experiential learning opportunities, including internships and related programs. ****In the first stage, companies provide sponsorship to one school selected through a competitive application process, in which proposals for the development of a new sustainability-focused course are evaluated and awarded with funding. The school uses this funding to launch these courses, empower their students to lead sustainability-related community projects, and offer internships aligned with the sponsor company’s needs. This approach creates a win-win model: students gain relevant skills and mentorship, schools access funding and community relevance, and companies build a future-ready workforce. The model is technically simple to implement, financially flexible, socially inclusive, and environmentally aligned, designed for long-term scalability across Porto Alegre and beyond.
We recognize that we are early in our understanding of the complex educational, institutional, and economic dynamics at play in Porto Alegre. Assumptions include the willingness of companies to fund schools and the capacity of schools to implement sustainability programming with limited support. To address these uncertainties, our initial phase will focus on engaging key stakeholders, including school administrators, educators, students, and company partners, to better understand capacity and alignment. We will launch a competitive call for proposals to identify a school that demonstrates readiness and enthusiasm. A pilot program will then be implemented at that school, allowing us to test outcomes, gather feedback, and iterate before expanding. We acknowledge that this process requires flexibility, learning from lived experience, and trust-building across sectors. We move forward with clarity of vision and humility in execution.