ANNUAL REPORT 2021-2022
Working Together for Change
Sierra Frank and Ryan Dyment | Co-Executive Directors
Reflecting back on the 2021-22 school year, we are inspired by the power of collaboration to make meaningful environmental change. From ambitious climate commitments made at COP26 to secure global net zero by mid-century, to school communities across Canada tackling climate change head-on with creativity and fervor. Likewise, here at EcoSchools Canada we embraced a new, collaborative leadership model as Ryan Dyment (Finance Director) and Sierra Frank (Program Director) moved into the roles of Co-Executive Directors—bringing together our complementary skill sets to help create a vibrant, effective, and relationship-driven organization.
With the support of our dedicated team of staff, partners, and funders, we saw tremendous growth of our national program. In our second year scaling nationally, over 1,400 schools registered with the program from 9 provinces and territories and 137 Boards/Districts across Canada! An accomplishment that is owed to the amazing people and partnerships at the heart of the EcoSchools community.
Another success story of the past year was the advancements made to the EcoSchools Certification Application (ECA). The ECA not only delivers a flexible framework for environmental action and learning in school but also allows us to measure how each school, region, and province is contributing to sustainability goals nationwide. This powerful tool provides unique data and insight to tell a story of collective impact and change, highlighted in our recent reports on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and waste generation trends in K-12 schools. The ECA is now on its way to becoming an international success story, with much more to come.
After a year of impressive growth and so many accomplishments, we are filled with hope and couldn’t be more excited to lead this tremendous team and program into the future!
Did you know that in 2021-22…
schools from 9 provinces and territories registered in the EcoSchools program
students were reached by the EcoSchools program
hours of outdoor learning took place. That’s the equivalent of over 60 years!
Over 25,400
students were part of an EcoTeam!
14,000+
actions completed. That’s 5,000 more than last year!
159 schools
wrote an EcoCode in the
2021-22 school year
Impacts: SDG Statistics
The EcoSchools program offers over 50 distinct environmental actions that are aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). During the 2021-2022 school year, these actions enabled students and educators to achieve meaningful and sustainable outcomes, including reduced energy consumption, decreased waste generation, and heightened water conservation awareness. By fostering critical and creative thinking about environmental responsibility among all members of the school community, EcoSchools has made a significant contribution to Canada’s progress towards fulfilling the UN SDGs.
In the 2021-22 school year…
students tracked their monthly water usage at school
classrooms had their energy efifciency optimized
students and staff members pledged to use sustainable transportation
kg of waste (recycling + organics) was diverted from landfill
tons of CO2e was sequestered from school ground greening activities
National School Waste Study
EcoSchools Canada was commissioned by Environment and Climate Change Canada to conduct research to better understand waste diversion practices in K-12 schools across Canada. The report analyzed waste audit data for key material categories like plastic and paper packaging, and food waste was analyzed alongside survey responses from schools. Additional input was provided by regional, provincial, and national organizations supporting waste management in schools.
Harnessing the powerful data provided by schools in the EcoSchools Certification Application provided a deeper understanding of waste-related programming that’s happening in schools from coast to coast to coast. From reducing single-use plastics to monitoring bins for contamination to waste-free student lunches. The insights from the immense impact of EcoSchools combined with the key findings of the report was used to create the Best Practices Guide for Waste Management, a resource designed to help schools and school boards/districts achieve their waste reduction and diversion goals.
Taking Action in Ontario’s Greenbelt!
EcoSchools partnered with the Greenbelt Foundation this year to provide students with skills & hands-on experience to become protectors of biodiversity in the Greenbelt & beyond. Stretching over two million acres, the Ontario Greenbelt is one of the most biodiverse areas in all of Canada.
Through this partnership, students will learn to complete a biodiversity survey on their school grounds by identifying as many different plant species as possible. Students will also have the chance to win up to $5,000 to plant native species on their school grounds and strengthen the biodiversity in their school community.
Financials
A heart-felt thank you to the following amazing groups for their generous support of the EcoSchools program in the 2021-22 year.
Supporters, Donors, and Friends
- Alberta Council for Environmental
Education - Alcoa
- Arc Skoru
- Athlon
- Carton Council of Canada
- Cascades Inc.
- Centre for Social Innovation – Annex
- Center for Green Schools (US Green
- Building Council)
- Coop FA
- Earth Day Canada
- Earth Rangers
- ECO Canada
- eCycle Solutions
- EECOM
- Enviro Éduc-Action
- Environment and Climate Change Canada
- Environmental Defence
- etee
- Evergreen
- Finnovate
- FoodCycler
- Foundation for Environmental Education
- General Motors Canada
- Government of Canada
- Greenbelt Foundation
- GreenLearning
- Green Communities Canada
- GUEPE
- Health Canada
- Idée
- Keep Britain Tidy
- KPMG Foundation
- Louis Courteau
- Level Studio
- Moccasin Identifier Project
- Mouvement ACTES (Centrale syndicats
du Québec) - Natural Resources Canada
- Natural Curiosity
- Nutritower
- OISE (University of Toronto)
- Ontario Trillium Foundation
- Outdoor Learning Store
- Pathway Group
- Pine Project
- Planet in Focus
- Project Learning Tree Canada
- Project Neutral
- Prosh Marketing
- RBC Tech for Nature
- RBC Ignite
- Roberta Bondar Foundation
- SK Films
- Take Me Outside
- TD Friends of the Environment
Foundation - Teachers Life Insurance
- The Gaia Project
- The Peter Gilgan Foundation
- The Water Brothers
- Toronto and Region Conservation
Authority - Toronto District School Board
- Trottier Family Foundation
- The United Nations Association in
Canada - WWF-Canada
Board of Directors
- Freda Bi
- Michelle Boutin
- Bala Gnanam
- Jeremy Lin
- Jacob O’Connor
- Steven Pacifico
- Stephanie Rodrigues
- Ryan Silva
- Martha Turner Osborne
Finance Committee
- Freda Bi
- Priscilla Leung
- Evnah Ramiah
EcoSchools Program Advisory Committee (EPAC)
- Alice Hovorka, York University
- Beatrice Groux, Conseil scolaire
Viamonde - Dr. Xavier Fazio, Brock University
- Erin Mutch, Thames Valley District
School Board - Jenn Vetter, Toronto District School
Board - Leandra Coore, Durham District School Board
- Matthew Kovacs, Halton Catholic District School Board
- Olena Olafson, Calgary Board of
Education - Pam Miller, Toronto District School Board
- Peggy Cheng, Toronto and Region
Conservation Authority, Peel
EcoSchools - Suzanne Burwell, Halton District School Board
- Tanya Murray, York Region District
School Board - Xena Biffert, Calgary Catholic School
District
Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)
- Dr. Marisol Campos-Navarrete, Sheridan College
- Katie Harper, Project Neutral
- Antoine Marchal, IT Projects Manager, Coop FA
Youth Advisory Committee (YAC)
- Cara, SCDSB, grade 11
- Jasnoor, YRDSB, grade 12
- Lucy, SCDSB, grade 10
- Mason, YRDSB, grade 12
- Moriah, SCDSB, grade 12
- Sarah, YCDSB, grade 10
- Umaira, SCDSB, grade 11
- Valentina, YRDSB, grade 11
- Maggie Chang, Post-Secondary Advisor
EcoSchools Canada Team
Full time
- Alex Campagnolo
- Ayoub Hammoudi
- Clara Luke
- Erin Ring
- Frédérique Guay
- Galen Drinnan
- Jose Marulanda
- Lourdes David
- Ludiwine Clouzot
- Lindsay Bunce
- Ryan Dyment
- Sierra Frank
- Theresa Ramirez
Part time
- Rebecca Minielly
- Alejandro Ramos
- Edvirge Prédestin
- Eleanor Willner-Fraser
- Marie-Ellen Houde-Hostland