Award Recipients

Map the System is a global competition led by the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at Oxford University, engaging over 120 post-secondary institutions worldwide. It emerged from research indicating a trend in post-secondary education toward heavy focus on innovation, often neglecting holistic understanding of complex issues. This competition challenges students to use systems thinking to understand complexity and existing solutions before proposing new ideas. 

Humber Polytechnic was the first polytechnic institution to participate, and in just five years, it boasts the highest rate of student participation globally, with 117 teams from across Humber’s faculties registering this year alone. The competition has engaged over 350 students from six faculties, supported by more than 60 Humber faculty and staff who facilitate sessions, mentor student teams, and participate as judges. 

Elinor, Sara, and Isabel have demonstrated exceptional creativity and innovation in their approach to bringing the competition and Systems Thinking to Humber. As a co-leads of the Map the System competition, they have provided students with opportunities to explore complex social and environmental issues using systems thinking. Their efforts in bringing this competition to Humber have enriched our curriculum and positioned Humber as a leader in innovative educational practices and a leader in Polytechnic education. 

All three faculty supported the launch of the competition not just across Humber’s campuses but also through the Global Polytechnic Alliance creating an opportunity for students from three institutions in three different countries to collaborate on global challenges. They also brought the Map the System competition to Humber’s International Graduate School campus in the early days of the campus launch, providing a unique opportunity for international learners in graduate programs to engage in the competition, meet and collaborate with peers in other programs and connect students globally.   

This competition has given international students an opportunity at Humber to learn more about the need for systemic change around a number of global issues related to equity, diversity and inclusion. It has also helped them to develop skills to advocate for systemic change. Furthermore, the Humber community has gained insights into these issues through the projects the students have produced and shared through the competition. The impact of the work of Elinor, Isabel and Sara on students is evident through the feedback received from some of the international students who participated in Map the System: 

"Professor Elinor, Sara, and Isabel provided incredible support throughout our project as the Map the System mentors. When building the foundation of our project, they guided us through the process of crafting causal loop maps to understand the complex relationships between greenwashing and corporate practices. Their expertise in iceberg mapping helped us identify the underlying factors that contribute to greenwashing, allowing us to present a comprehensive picture of the issue. This support, along with their encouragement, was instrumental in propelling our project, 'Behind The Seams: Unveiling Multinational Corporate Greenwashing Practices in Canada' to a top 10 finish at Humber's Map the System Canada competition."
Hoang Anh Do – Marketing Management

“Participating in Map the System has significantly deepened my understanding of waste management issues in Kenya. The support and guidance from Elinor, Sara, and Isabel have been invaluable, offering clarity, encouragement, and expert insights throughout my journey.”
Arumugam Subramanian – Global Business Management 

“Embarking on the journey of Map the System Canada 2024 was one of the most privileged and best decisions I have ever made in my life as the experience was extraordinary and we really appreciate our professor Elinor Bray-Collins for all the lessons on System Thinking, the inspiring stories as well as encouragement. Moreover, the feedback we got from professors Sara Hassan and Isabel Sousa was extremely valuable and enabled our team to complete our work with the final result as a runner-up." 
Mai Lan Quyen Tran, Global Business Management 

Together, Elinor Bray-Collins, Sara Hassan, and Isabel Sousa have championed the Map the System competition at Humber, bringing awareness to issues of systemic racism, the relationship between sustainability and equity, and global issues of inequality. They are bringing the Humber Learning Outcomes to life in remarkable ways, strengthening international partnerships, and establishing Humber as an emerging global leader in Systems Thinking.