The story of Mission Roots began after its’ four founders, Skye, Lauren, Angelica and Summer, enrolled in the sustainability course offered by our high school. We all agree that this class was the springboard for our journey into activism, and has truly opened our eyes to the incredibly detrimental effect global issues like climate change have on our world today. Not only has the adventure that followed fueled us with the knowledge and passion for change, but it has also paved the way for a great deal of valuable learning, new friends, and essentially the creation of our first social enterprise.
Despite being passionate and eager about ‘doing something’, we didn’t know where to begin. We were at a loss as to how exactly we’d use our resources and privilege to our advantage in order to help others around the globe. After weeks of late night planning, researching and organizing, we had finally turned our passion for change into a full-scale operation! Mission Roots, a school cafe with an innovative twist, is driven by our love for the environment, our desire to make a change, and our hope of encouraging others to forge their own path towards a more sustainable future.
Through the startup process of Mission Roots, we’ve had the opportunity to work alongside incredible charity organizers, business owners, and students, leading to the realisation of the true importance of impactful action at a grassroots level. We hope to continue our humble journey in the large world of philanthropy and environmentalism, spreading ripples of change across the planet.
Mission Roots Cafe was founded in the fall of 2017 after a group of students had learned about the detrimental impacts of our global climate crisis through the sustainability course run at OKM by Mr. Ross.
At the time, they were just a bunch of strangers that were all just a little bit curious about environmental sustainability and very naive.
They learned the basics at first - climate change is bad, plastics are harming biodiversity, sea levels are rising, drought and famine are becoming more severe - but later dove in deeper as they became more intrigued by these issues.
The group was amazed that throughout their many years of public education, they had never been exposed to current real-world issues such as how the steady increase in C02 in the atmosphere could impact real estate in future years, or how climate change is linked to gender inequality.
After learning about these global issues and witnessing eye-opening examples in their own town, they couldn't help but notice the clear knowledge gap between what was going on in the real world, and what most students were aware of at our school.
They're not going to lie, they were angry. Frustrated. Why didn’t they know about these issues sooner? Why weren’t others aware of and panicked about these important world issues? The team wanted to take action. All they had to do was: 1. Target multiple global issues 2. Help other students become well-informed, engaged citizens.
Easy right?
At the time, they were just a bunch of strangers that were all just a little bit curious about environmental sustainability and very naive.
They learned the basics at first - climate change is bad, plastics are harming biodiversity, sea levels are rising, drought and famine are becoming more severe - but later dove in deeper as they became more intrigued by these issues.
The group was amazed that throughout their many years of public education, they had never been exposed to current real-world issues such as how the steady increase in C02 in the atmosphere could impact real estate in future years, or how climate change is linked to gender inequality.
After learning about these global issues and witnessing eye-opening examples in their own town, they couldn't help but notice the clear knowledge gap between what was going on in the real world, and what most students were aware of at our school.
They're not going to lie, they were angry. Frustrated. Why didn’t they know about these issues sooner? Why weren’t others aware of and panicked about these important world issues? The team wanted to take action. All they had to do was: 1. Target multiple global issues 2. Help other students become well-informed, engaged citizens.
Easy right?
While in the brainstorming process, the group of founders had attended the Regional Canada 150 and Me Youth Forum on the Environment in Vancouver and had returned from the trip even more inspired by the other empowered youth they had met on the trip (as well as by hearing from the great Doctor David Suzuki)!
This motivation they felt fueled the fire and caused them to spring into action. After much research, brainstorming, and trial and error they finally made the decision to dive straight into deep waters by creating a school club and and starting up a sustainable business....thus Mission Roots Cafe was born.
This motivation they felt fueled the fire and caused them to spring into action. After much research, brainstorming, and trial and error they finally made the decision to dive straight into deep waters by creating a school club and and starting up a sustainable business....thus Mission Roots Cafe was born.
MEET THE CAFE'S FOUNDERS
Skye Noh – Grade 12
My role within Mission Roots is to coordinate the team of talented individuals, communicate with various parties, conduct market analysis and recruit volunteers who, like myself, are eager to make an impact. Being born and raised in the Okanagan Valley, I was able to witness the growth and development of the area throughout my childhood. Having such a strong connection to my hometown has allowed me to really understand the psychology behind changing something that can have deep personal ties, and how change can be implemented so that individuals are able to relate to it in a positive manner. Upon learning about the inextricable nature of climate change, I was determined to promote the importance of sustainability within my school. I am able to fulfill my goal utilizing the cafe as an empowering platform for which to spread such ideas. |
Lauren Moody- Grade 12
As a manager at Mission Roots, my role is to oversee our finances and sales. I take care of receipts and invoices, and also create and maintain our financial database, which includes our revenue and inventory records, expense tracker, cost analysis and account transactions. I am also responsible for managing and designing our ‘choose your charity’ system, including visually representing its impacts and tracking profit distribution. Growing up in Alberta, the ‘oil capital of Canada’, I would have never expected to be where I am today. Moving to Kelowna exposed me to a community of passionate change makers, and, quite simply, changed my life. Since enrolling in Michael Ross’s sustainability class, I have not only learned about the critical issues facing our generation, such as the climate crisis and the modern civil rights revolution, but I have also learned about myself and, through Mission Roots, the ripple of change we all have the potential to create. |
Angelica Phelan- Grade 12 As a manager in the cafe, my main jobs are to schedule volunteers, keep track of inventory, keep expenses to a minimum and help things run smoothly. Besides my main duties, I am also able to bring a diverse perspective to the team culturally as I have lived all along the west coast from Vancouver way down to California. Though I have always had a passion for social justice, I never thought it had any connection to sustainability. It wasn’t until I was able to talk with my fellow friends, that I discovered the direct correlation between the two. My hope is that through the cafe, people will discover what I have and be inspired to make a difference in their own way. |
Summer Sharma- Grade 12 My role in our team generally involves our online presence, including the running of our instagram, @missionrootscafe (our main advertising resource for students at the school) as well as any other of our marketing related affairs . I also work on many of our design elements, such as details like our punch cards and menu board, and taking photos and videos for our use. Having been born in London UK, and spent most of my life there, I bring a different cultural perspective to the team. My interest in sustainability and desire to create change, was sparked by the 8 months in my life I was lucky enough to spend travelling the world with my family. This trip-of-a-lifetime really opened my eyes and made me want to share the multitude of knowledge I gained, as well as the understanding that there’s always more to be learn. |