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Recent News
Upcoming EcoLeague Teacher Workshop: Mining the Carbon Out of People's Lifestyles
June 2010
Making Treasure out of Trash with “Kool Juicy Couture”
Meadowview Public School, Addison Ontario
Students at Meadowview Public School are sporting eco---friendly fashion these days. It all started when the EcoSchool team wanted to reduce lunchroom waste. Many common items such as milk cartons, juice boxes, and plastics were being collected and recycled; however, there was one item that was very prevalent and not recyclable – foil juice pouches! Since September the students had been collecting these pouches until they had the funds to fulfill their idea. Along came Learning for a Sustainable Future who provided the school with $400.00, which allowed them to buy a sewing machine, thread and notions.
A team of parent and community volunteers began hosting sewing bees and after the “Kool Juicy Couture” kick-off assembly, where the sample products were showcased, the orders came pouring in! A fashion craze was born. Our team of sewers made over 200 bags and in the process saved over 4000 juice pouches from the landfill. To fulfill all of our orders, three local schools also pitched in and reduced waste by collecting the foil juice pouches for us.
Hitting the Big Screen
Wildwood School, Calgary Alberta
The grade four students at Wildwood School in Calgary, Alberta created a film to promote environmental stewardship. The film, Tiny Footprints Making a BIG Difference, focuses on implementing better recycling programs and composting systems, reducing energy consumption, and encouraging students to bring garbage-free lunches. The students worked with environmental experts to create “a very powerful, refreshing, and hopeful piece”.
The documentary’s premier was attended by important community members, business personnel, school board members, teachers, parents, and students! Tiny Footprints Making a BIG Difference is now being entered into film festivals and copies are being distributed to all of Calgary’s schools. The film has received plenty of positive feedback as it is inspiring people of all ages to adopt more environmentally friendly behaviours!
Making Bags in Brooklin Ontario
St. Leo Catholic School, Brooklin Ontario
With much support from members of EcoLeague the students at St. Leo C. S. have had a successful year making reusable bags out of old materials – mainly old jeans! We first got the idea after visiting the EcoLeague Youth Forum at the beginning of the school year in Oct. 2009. The six Eco Team members who attended the Forum came back to school with many ideas they wanted to share with their other Eco Team members. In partner with LSF and EcoLeague we set our plans in the making!
On Tuesdays and Thursday during the months of February to May the eco Team would meet during lunch recess and make bags … but not only bags, we created pencil cases, change purses and even camera cases and cell phone protectors!
We raffled off our reusable creations during Earth Week in order to raise money for Oceans Wild to come to our school. Oceans Wild is an environmental group from Nova Scotia who came to our school on June 2, 2010 and educated the staff and students on the many environmental hazards that are affecting our marine wildlife.
Thanks to organizations like LSF and EcoLeague we at St. Leo’s were able to make our GREEN Goals possible! We look forward to working with the friendly staff at Eco League once again in the future.
Arborg Goes Green
Arborg Early Middle Years School, Arborg Ontario
Arborg Early Middle Years School decided to do something about the amount of waste we put into our local landfill. To accomplish this we decided to start a school wide composting program led by a new student Environment Club. In September 2009 metal containers and compostable bags were purchased for every classroom. A black compost bin was also purchased and placed next to the school. Along with this posters and information about composting was provided to each classroom so that the teacher could discus composting and items that could be put into the composter.
By October 2009 we were ready to go. The students in each class take responsibility over ensuring that their compostable go into the classroom bins. On Wednesdays and Fridays students from the Environment Club collect the classroom bins and deposit them into our composter. By December we soon realized that our project was very successful and we had already filled one composter. At that point we realized that we would need a large three stage composter constructed to handle the amount of compost material produced at the school.
From the grant support from Learning for a Sustainable Future’s EcoLeague grant we were able to construct the composter we needed to ensure our project would be successful for years to come.
Healthy Eating for You and the Planet
Eagle Habour Primary Schoool, West Vancouver British Columbia
Eagle Harbour Primary School of West Vancouver, British Columbia expanded their current garden to create an edible classroom. The new vegetable garden engages students in active learning about the importance of healthy eating. The garden has helped teach students about the environmental benefits of local and organic foods. Additionally, the students are responsible for planting, maintaining, and harvesting the garden.
Fruits of Labour
Archbishop Romero Catholic Secondary School, Mississauga, Ontario
MISSISSAUGA – If Spartan and Empire conjure up images of ancient Greece, then this morning’s efforts of Archbishop Romero Catholic Secondary School’s H.E.L.P! Out; H.E.L.P! Now (Humanitarian Experiential Leadership Program) students should help to rewrite history for the residents surrounding Mississauga’s Parkway Green Park.
Working in concert with the City of Mississauga and EcoSource, through funding provided by both the United Way of Peel and Learning for Sustainability, H.E.L.P! students planted 16 apple and pear trees, in a collaborative effort to revitalize a deteriorating park while establishing Mississauga’s first community orchard.
The orchard, located at Rathburn Road and Central Parkway East, is the first in a series of redevelopment projects scheduled for the park this summer, including a community garden to be located immediately adjacent the orchard.
“A community garden and orchard is an incredible way for people to come together. It allows those who would otherwise not have a chance to garden to be afforded that opportunity. It also helps to create a greater sense of ownership and accountability within the community which should help to diminish vandalism within the neighbouring area, “ remarked Robyn Nagel, a student of H.E.L.P!
“We plan on using the garden and orchard to teach school-age children about the importance of environmental sustainability through growing organically and eating locally, “ commented Jeremy DeMello, another H.E.L.P! student.
Taking Action and Making a Difference!
It all started with an idea - a green idea!
October 2009
On the bus home from the EcoLeague Forum that was presented by LSF and EcoLeague my grade eight eco girls were so excited! They could not contain their enthusiasm. They had so many ideas that they wanted to share with the school and the rest of our Eco Team.
Upon arriving back at our school there was a taxi waiting to pick up our school principal. The taxi was idling and the girls noticed it right away! They came up to me with energy pouring out of them … they wanted to know if they could ask the taxi driver to turn off his car while he waited. I told them it would be fine as long as they did it calmly and politely.
Together all six girls approached the passenger side window of the car. They let the driver know that we at St. Leo’s are an Eco school and that if it would be alright - they would like him to shut off his car. He said that would be fine! The girls were so happy with themselves and proud that one little step was made to make the air a little better.
The next day my principal came up to me and told me the taxi driver was very impressed with the girls. He said they were kind, polite and passionate about their cause.
Now … one little step was made. One cabbie stopped idling.
Perhaps he went back to the station and talked to some other drivers about how he was approached by six eco-smart grade eight girls? Perhaps that cabbie now turns off his car when he is waiting for his fare?!
Jennifer McKeown
Eco-teacher @ St. Leo Catholic School
Brooklin Ontario
Local Projects Lead to National Recognition
Throughout the year, the staff and students at John Paul High School took on a number of...
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Crosby Heights Goes Green
As a unified school community, the staff and students at Crosby Heights achieved their self-imposed...
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Old Partnerships, New Projects
The school community at Mount Joy Public School have worked hard to transform part of their front...
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