Students in St. Clair College's Advertising and Marketing Communications Management program have earned top honours at a recent global sustainability marketing competition, beating out schools from 120 countries.
To close out December 2024, the program's students achieved an historic victory in the Clean Recycling Initiative Global Sustainability Marketing Competition, emerging as the winners out of more than 1,500 students hailing from 704 post-secondary institutions, including some prominent U.S. schools such as Georgetown University.
The competition, known for its focus on sustainability and forward-thinking marketing strategies, highlighted the ingenuity of Windsor students on a global stage, where St. Clair's team tackled the issue of textile waste.
"This year's submissions showcased extraordinary creativity, dedication, and unwavering commitment to addressing misinformation in environmental sustainability. Selecting winners was incredibly challenging, as every participant exhibited exemplary effort," said Sae Chang, President & CEO of Clean Recycling Initiative.
Students were tasked with creating a campaign slogan, creating mock-up social media posts as well as a PowerPoint and video presentation of their ideas. St. Clair College's team created the slogan 'Thread of Change' as a focal point of their work.
"This competition was not just about awards but about embarking on a journey of collective learning and collaboration," said Chang. "Exploring solutions to combat misinformation about sustainability with students worldwide has been both enlightening and inspiring."
Team St. Clair College consisted of Jordyn Rady, Kayla Kwiatkowski, Elliot Smith, Nathan Mitchel Triolet and Elizabeth Marion, and was the only Canadian team to place, proving that Canadian creativity and innovation can outshine the world's best.
"This is not just a win for St. Clair College," said Steve McEachern, professor and coordinator in the Advertising and Marketing Communications program. "It's a win for our city and our country. These students are putting Windsor and Canada on the global map as a hub of talent, creativity, and world-class education."
"We worked super hard on this, and so now we're actually reaping the rewards of our hard work and our efforts," said Elliot Smith, a third-year Advertising and Marketing student at St. Clair College.
This marks the second consecutive year that the small but mighty program has claimed international acclaim. Last year, St. Clair College became the first Canadian institution to win the Global Digital Marketing University Competition.
These achievements are more than just trophies for St. Clair College – they are a point of pride for Windsor and a testament to Canada's ability to compete on a global scale. While facing off against universities with far greater resources and prestigious reputations, the program's students demonstrated unparalleled creativity, resilience, and innovation.
"Competing against institutions with expansive budgets and elite connections, this small Windsor-based college program has repeatedly punched above its weight," said McEachern. "Its focus on practical, hands-on learning and innovation gives students a unique edge, empowering them to deliver exceptional results on the world stage."
The underdog story resonates particularly in a time when conversations around postsecondary education often centre around challenges. This success is a reminder of the possibilities when passion, talent, and determination align, underscoring the potential of smaller institutions and the calibre of talent emerging from them.
"The mentorship from our professors is really the key thing here. Every one of our professors is so gifted in their own way, and they give us the opportunity to use our passions and our talents in a way that can really be utilized for the mission of the campaign," said Smith. "That's honestly why our program shines out among any other advertising and marketing program in Ontario, because of the passion of our teachers to ignite the passion inside me."
The award also highlights Windsor as a city fostering innovation and global competitiveness. For Canadian students, this success serves as an inspiring example of what can be achieved, regardless of geographic or institutional size.
"These students have proven that Windsor and Canada can lead the way in innovation and creativity," said McEachern. "It's time their efforts and achievements are celebrated by the wider community."
The momentum didn't stop there. The students recently advanced to the finals of the NHL/NHLPA Hockey Innovation Competition, besting top-tier Ontario colleges and universities. They will be presenting their ideas at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto on Jan. 29, 2025.
For these competitions, students had the opportunity to collaborate with professors from other programs, such as Graphic Design, whose guidance and expertise in creative strategy helped refine the projects and elevate their impact. This cross-program collaboration is a hallmark of St. Clair College, enabling students to produce industry-level work while building invaluable teamwork skills.
"It's really awesome to be able to be in school but still be able to work with people in the real industry that I'd be able to network with, and may help me get a job," said Nathan Mitchel Triolet, also a third-year student in the Advertising and Marketing program. "It's just an amazing experience overall."
The Advertising and Marketing Communications program is part of St. Clair College's School of Media, Art & Design, where students benefit from an interdisciplinary approach to learning.
"This has really prepared me for going into the industry, to think very big and to think very world-minded," said Smith.