Remote and Virtual School Certification Program
Whether you are with a virtual school that was created due to COVID-19, or a long-standing virtual/remote school, we’re here to support you in achieving EcoSchools certification this year! With schools across the country adapting to new learning environments and methods of instruction, EcoSchools Canada is adapting to support you wherever you are: at school or at home.
Learning or teaching in school?
For teachers and students who are learning and teaching in a school building (with in-person, cohort, or remote classes), you may participate and certify with the program by registering on the EcoSchools Certification Application.
Learning or teaching in a remote/virtual school or classroom? Read on!
For 100% remote/virtual schools and classrooms, you can now register, participate, and certify with the EcoSchools program in a way that is tailored just for you!
The steps are simple:
- Step 1: Register your school using this Certification Form. This form should be completed by one adult member from your remote/virtual school or classroom (e.g., teacher, administrator, etc.). Please be sure to bookmark a link to this form for easy access.
- Step 2: Review the 11 environmental actions (listed below) and corresponding tools and resources.
- Step 3: Select a minimum of three actions that you would like to implement this year (with one class, numerous classes, or your whole school).
- Step 4: Report on the actions you completed by updating your Certification Form and submit by May 10, 2024. All applications will then be assessed and schools will be recognized with a digital Special Edition Remote & Virtual School Certification Seal.
Remote & Virtual EcoSchools Actions
Community Clean-up
Remove litter from the environment, learn about proper waste sorting, and demonstrate the power of working together!
Litter can be damaging to plant life and detrimental to animal habitat and health, especially if it is mistaken for food and ingested. Litter can also end up in water systems and contribute to the growing marine plastics problem. Conducting a Community Clean-up is a great way to get outside individually and as families to take positive action to support a local area such as a local park or shoreline.
This action can be conducted by a class, several classes, or a whole school by having remote-learning students (and their families) learn about this topic and get outside to conduct a Community Clean-up in their neighbourhood. Don’t forget to have students share pictures of their action and associated learning virtually (via social media, google classrooms, or other online tools).
Steps to completing this action
Before you begin
- Ensure students follow proper health and safety guidelines when conducting their clean-up.
Get started!
- Provide students with clear instructions on how to conduct their clean-up, as well as a materials list (e.g., gloves, garbage and recycling bags, etc.).
- Raise awareness with your class and whole school on the impact of litter on the environment.
- On the day(s) of your community-clean-up, have students (and their families) collect litter. You may also choose to have them track the amount of waste they collect (i.e., number of bags or weight) to determine your collective impact.
- Have participants share photos from their community clean-up and associated learning via social media, google classroom, or other online tools.
- Don’t forget to track the number of students, staff, and family members that participated in this action.
Tip! Snap photos during the clean-up! Take a before and after photo of your clean-up site or some of your unusual finds.
Check out these great resources for more information, ideas, activities, and more!
- How to Lead a Clean-Up (Great Canadian Shoreline Clean-up) – English (option to translate in French at the top)
- Brand Audit Toolkit (#breakfreefromplastic) – English
- Safety Tips (Pitch-In Canada) – English
- Shoreline Cleanup Lesson Guides K-7 (Ocean Wise) – English
- Lesson Plans on Litter & Waste (Eco-Schools) – English
Community Science
Become a community scientist (also known as citizen scientist) and contribute to important environmental research projects from across Canada, and beyond!
Community science (also known as citizen science) is scientific research conducted by community members such as students and nature enthusiasts. Community science provides participants with the opportunity to directly contribute to scientific research, increase their scientific understanding, and immerse themselves in learning about pertinent environmental issues.
There are many different community science projects that span numerous topics and issues—from surveying pollinator populations to monitoring water quality, and identifying invasive plant species to classifying galaxies! For this action, select a community science project that is relevant to your curriculum, your community, or your interests and get started collecting data and helping to answer scientific questions.
This action can be integrated into the instructional time of a remote-learning classroom through a curriculum-linked lesson. This action can be conducted by a class, numerous classes, or the whole school.
Steps to completing this action
Before you begin
- If you are going into the field, ensure to follow proper safety protocols (e.g., prepare for inclement weather).
- Some Community Science projects require specialized equipment, be sure to check what tools are required before heading into the field to collect data.
Get started!
- Research different Community Science projects and determine the best one to meet your needs (i.e., curriculum-linked, relevant to your region or community, piques student interet, etc.).
- Recruit your team of researchers (i.e, a class, division, or whole school).
- Follow the guidelines of the project and start monitoring, observing, and collecting data.
- Submit your results to the lead project scientists and share your learning with your school community.
- Don’t forget to track the number of students, staff, and family members that participated in this action.
Tip! Invite families to join your research! Participation in a community science project can extend into homes, backyards, and local parks.
Check out these great resources for more information, ideas, activities, and more!
Create your Own
Have you organized an environmental action at your remote/virtual school or classroom that doesn’t currently fit into the actions provided? Let us know all about it!
Steps to completing this action
Before you begin
Review the criteria for creating your own action. Ensure you apply the criteria when designing, implementing, and submitting your action.
Get started!
- Raise awareness and encourage participation in your action.
- Provide students with clear instructions on how to participate.
- Have participants share photos from their action and associated learning via social media, google classroom, or other online tools.
- Don’t forget to track the number of students, staff, and family members that participated in this action.
Environmental Health
Learn about environmental health hazards and ways to protect yourself, your friends, your family, and the environment.
We are exposed to various environmental hazards in living, working, and recreational environments that may pose a risk to health and wellbeing. The surrounding environment has the potential to adversely affect people’s health through everyday exposure to chemicals, radon, air pollution and extreme heat. Some people may be at greater risk, such as children, those with pre-existing health conditions, pregnant people, Indigenous peoples, and older adults. One of the best ways to protect your health is to learn about these hazards and take action to protect yourself, your family, and your community.
This action can be conducted by a class, several classes, or a whole school by having remote-learning students (and their families) participate in learning and action. Don’t forget to have students share their learning virtually (via social media, google classrooms, or other online tools).
Steps to completing this action
Get started!
- Decide on the focus of your action. Will you centre on one environmental health topic or all four (air quality, chemical safety, extreme heat, and radon exposure)?
- Determine if these topics can be integrated into different class lessons or connected to curriculum expectations across various grades and subject areas.
- Don’t forget to track the number of students, staff, and family members that engaged in learning and action around environmental health.
Tip! Launch an Environmental Health campaign at your school and have each class or grade level focus on a different environmental health topic.
Check out these great resources for more information, ideas, activities, and more!
GOOS Paper
Get creative and reduce your paper use!
GOOS paper is paper that has been used on one side but is still blank and usable on the other side. A GOOS paper bin collects and stores GOOS paper. By placing GOOS paper bins strategically around your house (like a kitchen or home office), you can encourage family members to use both sides of their paper before it is recycled. This simple act will help to reduce pollution and the creation of solid waste, all while protecting forests.
This action can be conducted by a class, several classes, or a whole school by having remote-learning students (and their families) create a GOOS bin for their home. Don’t forget to have students share their GOOS bins and associated learning virtually (via social media, google classrooms, or other online tools).
Steps to completing this action
Get started!
Raise awareness with your class and whole school by sharing facts on the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling paper.
1. Gather all your materials to make GOOS bins:
- For the bin: Consider reusing an old cereal or appliance box.
- For decoration: Use what is around the house such as pencil crayons, markers, and scrap paper.
2. Place the GOOS bin in a helpful location (e.g., by a phone or computer).
3. Have participants share their GOOS bin and associated learning via social media, google classroom, or other online tools.
Tip! National GOOS Paper Day is in April. Consider setting your action timeline so that you can celebrate with schools across the country.
Check out these great resources for more information, ideas, activities, and more!
- National GOOS Paper Day – Home Tool Kit (EcoSchools Canada) – English / French
- National GOOS Paper Day – School Tool Kit (EcoSchools Canada) – English / French
- Paper Life-Cycle Resource (Cascades/EcoSchools Canada) – English / French
- Paper Activities Resource (Cascades/EcoSchools Canada) – English / French
Reduce Harmful Single-use Plastics
Raise awareness and take action to reduce the use of harmful single-use plastics such as plastic bags, straws, cutlery, plates, and beverage containers.
Research is increasingly showing the harmful effects of single-use plastic on human health and the environment—and its widespread use only adds to the problem. It is estimated that Canadians dispose of over 3 million tonnes of plastic waste every year, less than 10% of which gets recycled. Our plastic waste is ending up in landfills where it takes thousands of years to decompose and is finding its way throughout the environment—into parks, beaches, waterways, lakes, and oceans. Plastic waste is having a detrimental effect on both land and aquatic systems and animals.
This action can be conducted by a class, several classes, or a whole school by having remote-learning students (and their families) learn about this topic and pledge to reduce their use of harmful single-use plastic waste. Don’t forget to have students share their pledges and associated learning virtually (via social media, google classrooms, or other online tools).
Steps to completing this action
Before you begin
- Ensure that your messaging about harmful single-use plastics is non-judgemental and considerate of those who may rely on certain single-use plastic items for health and safety reasons.
- If you have already completed a similar action (i.e., reducing the use of single-use plastic bottles in the Great Gulp), please only complete this action by taking on additional activities.
Get started!
- Decide on the focus of your action. Will you focus on all single-use plastic items or just one, such as plastic straws or plastic bags?
- Raise awareness with your class and whole school by sharing facts on single-use plastic waste.
- Encourage students and their families to take a pledge to reduce harmful single-use plastic waste at home.
- You may share these pledge templates (Reduce Harmful Single-use Plastics pledge template) with students or have them create their own pledges.
- Have participants share their pledges and associated learning via social media, google classroom, or other online tools.
- Don’t forget to track the number of students, staff, and family members that participated in this action.
Extend the learning! Examine the lifecycle of plastics: Where do the raw materials come from? What is the process of making them? Where do they go once that single use is over? Who is responsible for the plastic at each stage of the life cycle?
Check out these great resources for more information, ideas, activities, and more!
- Reduce Harmful Single-use Plastics Pledge Template (EcoSchools Canada) – English / French
- Towards Zero Plastic Waste (Government of Canada) – English / French
- Break Free From Plastic (Greenpeace Canada) – English / French
- Skip the Straw (Ocean Conservancy) – English
- End Plastic Pollution (Earth Day Network) – English / French
- Toolkits (Break Free From Plastic) – English
Recycle Personal Electronic Waste
Collect electronic waste (e-waste) and ensure items get properly reused and recycled.
Electronics such as your personal computers, mobile phones, and chargers are full of precious materials like gold, copper, and platinum. Everyone needs to upgrade their electronics when they are too old or broken, but did you know that the materials should be recycled? Metals and other precious materials can be used over and over again, saving energy from mining and ensuring greenhouse gases and harmful toxins are not released into our environment. Recent surveys revealed that 80% of Canadians have unused electronics at home—launch a recycling campaign to collect those materials and give them a new life!
This action can be conducted by a class, several classes, or a whole school by having remote-learning students (and their families) learn about this topic and then collect old and unused personal electronics to be recycled. Don’t forget to have students share pictures of their action and associated learning virtually (via social media, google classrooms, or other online tools).
Steps to completing this action
Before you begin
- Ensure all participants are aware of how to remove all personal information from their devices.
- Always select an e-waste collection partner that prioritizes security and safety around collection procedures.
Get started!
- Raise awareness and encourage participation in your Recycle Personal Electronic Waste campaign.
- Provide students with clear instructions on how to collect personal electronics and a list of local e-waste recyclers in your city or region.
- Have participants share photos from their electronics recycling and associated learning via social media, google classroom, or other online tools.
- Don’t forget to track the number of students, staff, and family members that participated in this action.
Extend the learning! How often do you need to replace technology? Explore the role of media, media literacy, and planned obsolescence in the role of replacing personal technology.
Check out these great resources for more information, ideas, activities, and more!
Divert Textile Waste
Reduce, reuse, repurpose, repair, and recycle old textiles such as clothes, shoes, and bedding, and help to divert waste from the landfill.
Did you know that the clothing industry creates 2.1 billion tonnes of carbon emissions each year or roughly 8-10% of all global greenhouse gas emissions? It also uses 342 million barrels of oil a year to make our synthetic clothes, like those made from polyester or spandex. In fact, 7% of plastic waste in our landfill comes from our synthetic clothes. Fashion production consumes more energy than both aviation & shipping combined, and it can take 2,700 litres of water to make a single cotton t-shirt. In Canada, each household throws away an average of 81lb of textiles per year, making up for 5-10% of municipal landfills. Prevent and reduce the harmful consequences of textile disposal by organizing a textiles recycling initiative at your remote/virtual school.
This action can be conducted by a class, several classes, or a whole school by having remote-learning students (and their families) learn about this topic and then collect old and unused textiles to be repurposed, repaired, and recycled. Don’t forget to have students share pictures of their actions and associated learning virtually (via social media, google classrooms, or other online tools).
Steps to completing this action
Before you begin
- If you are recycling textiles, be sure to select a textile recycling collection partner or charity that prioritizes safety and ethics around collection, recycling, and distribution procedures.
Get started!
- Raise awareness and encourage participation in your Textile Recycling action.
- Provide students with clear instructions on how to collect textiles from home and a list of local collection partners in your city or region.
- Have participants share photos from their textile recycling and associated learning via social media, google classroom, or other online tools.
- Don’t forget to track the number of students, staff, and family members that participated in this action.
Tip! Research the concept of fast fashion. What are some of the social and environmental consequences that result from the fast fashion industry? What are some solutions to this phenomenon?
Check out these great resources for more information, ideas, activities, and more!
- How Fast Fashion Adds to the World’s Clothing Waste (CBC News, Market Place) – English
- Textiles are the next frontier in recycling for cities looking to cut waste (CBC News) – English
- Resources (Fashion Takes Action) – English
- Textile Tuesday (Waste Reduction Week in Canada) – English / French
- Textiles: Can We Make Fashion Sustainable? (ClimateScience) – English
The Great Gulp
Take a synchronized gulp of tap water to raise awareness about drinking water and the importance of reducing single-use plastic waste!
What is a Great Gulp? It’s when people come together (in-person or virtually) to take a synchronized drink of tap water from a reusable bottle, glass, or mug, in regions where tap water is safe and accessible.
This action can be conducted by a class, several classes, or a whole school by having remote-learning students (and their families) participate in a Great Gulp at home and sharing their “gulp” and associated learning virtually (via social media, google classrooms, or other online tools).
Steps to completing this action
Before you begin
If you live in a community where tap water is not safe to drink, please contact EcoSchools Canada so we can explore how to join advocacy efforts in your area.
Get started!
- Set a date and time for your Great Gulp event and invite your class, multiple classes, or whole-school to participate via email, social media, or other online communication tools.
- Raise awareness with your class and whole school by sharing facts on tap water in your region, on water issues in Canada, and on single-use plastic waste.
- On the day of your event have participants take a synchronized gulp of tap water from their homes and track the number of participants.
- Have participants share their “gulp” and associated learning via social media, google classroom, or other online tools.
- Don’t forget to track the number of students, staff, and family members that participated in this action.
Extend the learning! What is a Boil Water Advisory? Investigate why in Canada some First Nation communities still don’t have access to drinking water.
Check out these great resources for more information, ideas, activities, and more!
WWF Earth Hour
Switch off your lights and make noise for the Earth Hour movement.
From changing individual behavior, to legislation, Earth Hour has achieved massive environmental impact – but as accelerating climate change and staggering biodiversity loss threaten our planet, we need to spark never-before-had conversations on the loss of nature and the urgent need to protect it.
On the day and the days leading up to Earth Hour, every year millions of classrooms, families, businesses set aside an hour to host events, switch off their lights, and make noise for the Earth Hour movement.
Steps to completing this action
Get started!
- Earth Hour is celebrated annually at the end of March. Sign up (English or French) for WWF’s Living Planet @School so you can register for Earth Hour.
- Raise awareness and encourage participation in your Earth Hour campaign.
- Have participants share photos from their Earth Hour event and associated learning via social media, google classroom, or other online tools.
- Don’t forget to track the number of students, staff, and family members that participated in this action.
Extend the Learning! How is light generated in your area? What are the positive and negative impacts of these industries?
Check out these great resources for more information, ideas, activities, and more!
Young Reporters for the Environment
Do you have a story to tell the world?
Environmental journalism shines a light on important subjects in your community, country, and world. Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) Canada is a national environmental education program that gives youth the opportunity to produce creative and engaging environmental journalism. Participants in two age categories (11-14 and 15-18) can investigate and report on environmental issues and submit their entries through video, photography, or writing.
In this action, learn about pertinent environmental issues and help inspire, educate, and motivate others to take positive action to protect our environment. By completing this action, students also have a chance to win great prizes.
This action can be integrated into the instructional time of a remote-learning classroom or run as a competition for several classrooms or a whole school, for students aged 11-18.
Steps to completing this action
Before you begin
- Participants in YRE must be between the ages of 11-18.
- Submissions can be entered by individuals or groups of up to 3 people.
- Submissions for this contest must be in English.
- For full contest details and deadlines, please visit Young Reporters for the Environment Canada.
Get started!
- Review the YRE Canada website and handbook to learn more about the contest, annual themes, and submission requirements for each competition category.
- Select your medium. The YRE contest is available for both individuals and groups in three categories—article, photo, and video.
- Determine what topic you want to focus on and start crafting your story, conducting interviews, or snapping photos.
- Once your piece is complete and meets the acceptance criteria and submission guidelines outlined in the Competition Rules, submit to EcoSchools Canada and stay tuned for the results of the Canadian and international winners, it could be you!
- Don’t forget to track the number of students, staff, and family members that participated in this action.
Tip! For inspiration check out the work of previous Canadian YRE winners.
Check out these great resources for more information, ideas, activities, and more!