This year, schools across Halton are certifiably green! Forty-seven schools in the Halton District School Board and 27 in the Halton Catholic District School Board certified with Ontario EcoSchools, joining a growing movement of 1,900 schools across the province.
This year’s success has been supported by a strong collaboration between Ontario EcoSchools and the Halton Environmental Network (HEN), a non-profit organization that focuses on climate action and environmental sustainability across the Halton region.
Throughout May, Heather Govender, Program Director with HEN, visited schools in the Halton Region as part of the certification process. Reflecting on her experience, Govender says, “it was so inspiring to go into schools and see firsthand so many shining examples of student leadership on environmental stewardship campaigns.” She continues: “Almost every student I spoke with shared stories about the tremendous impacts they have seen as a result of their environmental stewardship, not only within their schools, but in their communities too. I can’t think of any better way to reaffirm my hope for our future on this planet.”
Burlington Central High School has integrated environmental stewardship into their school culture. They found ways to engage different clubs and classes, such as an Active Living class that has taken the lead on School Ground Greening, and a World Club that collaborated with the EcoTeam on a creative initiative to eliminate disposable coffee cups from their school. All students at Burlington Central High School take pride in the great work that they are doing.
St. Benedict Catholic Elementary School has certified as an EcoSchool for the 4th year in a row, and describe themselves as a full “EcoSchool” now – with their whole school involved – rather than “a school with an excellent EcoTeam.” Students, teachers, administrative staff, custodial staff, and parents have worked together to make this happen. The St. Benedict school garden, in particular, is a community affair. Students researched the most sustainable vegetable options, grew them inside, and then planted in May, using compost from Halton Waste Management. Families have been invited to visit the garden while school is in, and have signed up to water and weed during the summer months. All hands on deck!
Limehouse Public School in Halton Hills is a small but mighty school with a strong sense of community the moment you walk through the door. Their Grow-it Green Team (whose members comprise almost 20% of their student population) take much pride in the work they do for their school and for the environment. Students eagerly worked with the custodian to empty the recycling and compost, while at the same time doing waste audits to help their school minimize waste as much as possible.
St. Michael Catholic Elementary School in Oakville has certified as a first-time EcoSchool this year, but environmental stewardship has been ingrained in their school culture from the start. St. Michael’s custodian is an EcoSchool champion, working in partnership with teachers at the school to help guide the growing EcoTeam. The school’s commitment to waste minimization is also clear: students created posters and announcements to promote proper waste disposal into green, recycling, garbage and terracycling bins. They also acted as class ambassadors over lunchtime to ensure proper disposal. On the annual EcoSchools visit, St. Michael students filled up the school library in their eagerness to share what they accomplished this year.
Reflecting on the success of certified Halton schools, and the exciting collaboration between the two organizations, Lisa Kohler, Executive Director at HEN says, “We are thrilled to be working with Ontario EcoSchools and engaging our community with their incredible programs and initiatives. Ontario EcoSchools empowers our local students to be change makers and make significant environmental action and impact.”
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