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The 2023 EcoSchools EcoSummit will bring students, educators, and partners together for a free, dynamic, and accessible 3-week event. The conference will assemble and connect diverse voices to discuss important environmental issues and approaches focused on the following four themes:

Low-carbon commuting

Outdoor learning

Waste reduction

Climate action

EcoSummit Dates & Events

Welcome and Keynote

Thursday, March 2, 2023 at 1:00pm (ET)

Join EcoSchools as we launch the 2023 EcoSummit and get inspired by Nikki Sanchez in her Keynote address about working towards everyday climate solutions.

(Live on Zoom and YouTube, recorded for limited time).

Watch on Zoom

Low-carbon commuting panel

Friday, March 10, 2023 at 12:00pm (ET)

Learn about innovative projects, policies, and school initiatives focused on low-carbon commuting with a diverse panel of experts and change-makers. 

(Live on Zoom and YouTube, recorded).

Watch on YouTube

Presentations and webinars

March 2-23, 2023

All presentations will be pre-recorded and viewable throughout a three week period, making the content accessible to all registrants, at a time that works best for them. 

(Recorded).

Watch on YouTube

Closing and EnSpiration event

Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 12:00pm (ET)

Join EcoTeams from across Canada and get inspired by the amazing work they are doing in their school and community to increase environmental awareness and climate action.

(Live on Zoom and YouTube, recorded).

Watch on YouTube

Keynote Address

Nikki Sanchez

Indigenous media maker and environmental educator

Nikki Sanchez is a Pipil and Irish/Scottish academic, land defender, media maker, environmental spokesperson, and decolonization expert. Her work can be found broadly on the VICELAND series RISE and in her TEDx talk “Decolonization is for Everyone”. 

She is also an activist, author, and educator, as well as the founder and director of Decolonize Together.

Carolyn King

Nationally recognized advocate for Indigenous and First Nation Peoples in Canada.

Carolyn was appointed as a member of the National Order of Canada in 2020 for her advocacy of Indigenous-led initiatives, and her efforts to improve Canadians’ understanding of First Nations. She was honored to receive her medal last November in Ottawa. She is also the creator / founder of the Moccasin Identifier Initiative.

Presentations and webinar details

Low-Carbon Commuting

Outdoor Learning

Waste Reduction

Climate Action

Low-Carbon Commuting

This theme features webinars and a panel from thought and action leaders who are tackling the challenge of sustainable transportation. Topics include: Electric vehicles in school transportation, a closer look at the implications of car culture, and how to shift to more active travel methods.

Panel details

When: Friday, March 10, 2023 at 12:00pm (ET)

Availability: Live on Zoom and YouTube, recorded, and in-person.

Host: Candice Batista

Panelists: Elaine Kenny, Daniel Hendry, Omira Janmohamed and Nicole Roach.

Panel Host

Candice Batista
The Eco Hub

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Candice Batista is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Eco Hub. While this is her largest and most recent project, Candice boasts an extensive background in environmental work. She is an award-winning Environmental Journalist, as well as one of Canada’s leading eco advocates. Her career spans national and international media outlets, where she has used her background in media & communications to produce and report on various environmental and climate issues for digital audiences such as The Huffington Post, The Globe & Mail, The Weather Network, Rogers television, The Pet Network, iChannel, CityTV, and CTV’s The Marilyn Denis Show and Your Morning.

In 2011, Candice was nominated by the City of Toronto for their Green Toronto Awards in the category of Environmental Awareness. She’s also one of few select Canadians hand-picked to be trained by former U.S. President Al Gore, to give the Inconvenient Truth Presentation.

Elaine Kenny
Toronto District School Board

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Elaine Kenny is an Outdoor Education Teacher working for Toronto Outdoor Education Schools, a part of the Toronto District School Board. She works with students from various grades, providing them with hands-on, experiential learning opportunities.

Elaine has written lesson plans for the TDSB that highlight the effects of Climate Change and for Metro Links, focusing on Active, Safe and Sustainable Transportation. She has been an Eco Coach for TDSB’s EcoSchools, offering support and guidance to Eco Teams as they navigate the application process.

Elaine has taught in the TDSB for 30 years, inspiring students to act as stewards in their communities, both locally and globally. Elaine holds a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto and Bachelor of Physical and Health Education from McMaster University.

Daniel Hendry
Limestone District School Board

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Dan Hendry is more than just a social innovator; he is a facilitator, mentor, and communicator; Dan has focused his energy and efforts on making Kingston a sustainable, livable & smart city. With a background in commerce, strategic sustainability, and complex systems, driven by his concern for the environment, Dan’s passion is social innovation and sustainable solutions. With diverse and entrepreneurial networks, he creates collaboration between community members to enact lasting change.

A decade ago, Dan helped lead the charge and developed a simple but powerful model to transform public transportation. On-bus orientation and free passes have increased high school ridership from 28,000 to close to 600,000 (pre-COVID) annually in Kingston, Ontario. In 2019 Dan delivered a TEDx talk on the program entitled “Throwing Our Car Culture Under the Bus” at the National Arts Centre Ottawa.

His credentials include a master’s in strategic leadership towards sustainability from Blekinge Institute of Technology (BTH), a Bachelor of Commerce from Royal Roads University and an International Business Diploma from Seneca College. In Sweden at BTH, Dan studied under Dr. Karl Henrik Robèrt, the founder of the Natural Step. Dan has spent a few years teaching English in South Korea and is an active volunteer with YourTV Kingston making community television.

Elaine Kenny
Toronto District School Board

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Elaine Kenny is an Outdoor Education Teacher working for Toronto Outdoor Education Schools, a part of the Toronto District School Board. She works with students from various grades, providing them with hands-on, experiential learning opportunities.

Elaine has written lesson plans for the TDSB that highlight the effects of Climate Change and for Metro Links, focusing on Active, Safe and Sustainable Transportation. She has been an Eco Coach for TDSB’s EcoSchools, offering support and guidance to Eco Teams as they navigate the application process.

Elaine has taught in the TDSB for 30 years, inspiring students to act as stewards in their communities, both locally and globally. Elaine holds a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto and Bachelor of Physical and Health Education from McMaster University.

Daniel Hendry Limestone
District School Board

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Dan Hendry is more than just a social innovator; he is a facilitator, mentor, and communicator; Dan has focused his energy and efforts on making Kingston a sustainable, livable & smart city. With a background in commerce, strategic sustainability, and complex systems, driven by his concern for the environment, Dan’s passion is social innovation and sustainable solutions. With diverse and entrepreneurial networks, he creates collaboration between community members to enact lasting change.

A decade ago, Dan helped lead the charge and developed a simple but powerful model to transform public transportation. On-bus orientation and free passes have increased high school ridership from 28,000 to close to 600,000 (pre-COVID) annually in Kingston, Ontario. In 2019 Dan delivered a TEDx talk on the program entitled “Throwing Our Car Culture Under the Bus” at the National Arts Centre Ottawa.

His credentials include a master’s in strategic leadership towards sustainability from Blekinge Institute of Technology (BTH), a Bachelor of Commerce from Royal Roads University and an International Business Diploma from Seneca College. In Sweden at BTH, Dan studied under Dr. Karl Henrik Robèrt, the founder of the Natural Step. Dan has spent a few years teaching English in South Korea and is an active volunteer with YourTV Kingston making community television.

Omira Janmohamed
GM Canada

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As GM Canada’s EV Readiness Manager, Omira supports GM’s transition to an all-electric future. This includes building out EV strategy for dealers and their communities, cross-collaboration on charging infrastructure initiatives and a focus on consumer education to accelerated EV adoption. Through extensive experience in GM Canada’s Sales and Marketing Organization, Omira has strong relationships with GM’s dealer network and a keen understanding of customer needs. Her previous roles also include an international assignment as a manager of Experiential & Branded Entertainment for GM India and National Manager, Global Connected Services for GM Canada.

Nicole Roach
Green Communities Canada

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Nicole holds a B.A. in Philosophy and Communications from McMaster University and an M.Sc. in Sustainability Science, Policy, and Society from Maastricht University. She has worked in the field of sustainable transportation for several years, with a focus on commuting behaviours, community outreach, and children’s mobility. Nicole manages the sustainable transportation programming at Green Communities Canada, overseeing Ontario Active School Travel, School Travel Planning, and co-leading the Canadian Electric School Bus Alliance with Équiterre. In her spare time, Nicole enjoys exploring cities by bicycle, urban photography, and cooking at home.

Omira Janmohamed
GM Canada

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As GM Canada’s EV Readiness Manager, Omira supports GM’s transition to an all-electric future. This includes building out EV strategy for dealers and their communities, cross-collaboration on charging infrastructure initiatives and a focus on consumer education to accelerated EV adoption. Through extensive experience in GM Canada’s Sales and Marketing Organization, Omira has strong relationships with GM’s dealer network and a keen understanding of customer needs. Her previous roles also include an international assignment as a manager of Experiential & Branded Entertainment for GM India and National Manager, Global Connected Services for GM Canada.

Nicole Roach
Green Communities Canada

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Nicole holds a B.A. in Philosophy and Communications from McMaster University and an M.Sc. in Sustainability Science, Policy, and Society from Maastricht University. She has worked in the field of sustainable transportation for several years, with a focus on commuting behaviours, community outreach, and children’s mobility. Nicole manages the sustainable transportation programming at Green Communities Canada, overseeing Ontario Active School Travel, School Travel Planning, and co-leading the Canadian Electric School Bus Alliance with Équiterre. In her spare time, Nicole enjoys exploring cities by bicycle, urban photography, and cooking at home.

Webinar

Presenter

Description

Recorded Webinars

Sustainable Transportation: Learning and Action

Audience: Students and adults

Available in EN & FR

Watch here

Emilie Rayner
EcoSchools Canada

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Emilie is the EcoSchools Canada Program Coordinator and is driven to find ways that allow youth to understand issues in their communities and empower them to take action.

This webinar takes you on a journey through the EcoSchools actions and resources that support sustainable transportation, and contribute to EcoSchools certification.

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Learn how your school can track student and staff commuting, tackle idling, and engage students in sustainable and active transportation campaigns. We also take a deeper look into a new action: Zero-Emission Vehicles and Low-Carbon Driving, where we highlight hands-on, cross curricular activities and resource guides. Join us as we learn to take action to reduce the environmental impact of commuting at our schools!

Ideas Lab: Inspiring Local Action for Active School Travel

Audience: Adults

Available in EN only

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Nicole Roach
Green Communities Canada

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Nicole holds a B.A. in Philosophy and Communications from McMaster University and an M.Sc. in Sustainability Science, Policy, and Society from Maastricht University. She has worked in the field of sustainable transportation for several years, with a focus on commuting behaviours, community outreach, and children’s mobility.

Nicole manages the sustainable transportation programming at Green Communities Canada, overseeing Ontario Active School Travel, School Travel Planning, and co-leading the Canadian Electric School Bus Alliance with Équiterre. In her spare time, Nicole enjoys exploring cities by bicycle, urban photography, and cooking at home.

Green Communities Canada (GCC) is a national leader in delivering school travel planning and supporting local communities in encouraging active school travel.

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This presentation provides an introduction to active school travel in Canada, shares success stories of local initiatives, and informs attendees about available resources, such as the ‘Ideas Lab’. The ‘Ideas Lab’ is a searchable catalogue of tools and resources to support active school travel initiatives.

Yellow School Buses Go Green

Audience: Students and adults

Available in EN only

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Gillian Petrini
Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment

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Gillian Petrini is the Healthy Environments for Learning Day (HELD) Project Coordinator for the Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment. Gillian holds a BEd and MEd from the University of Victoria with a focus on environmental sciences and is a Forest School Practitioner with the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada. Her background includes over 15 years in education from early years to adults, in classrooms and forests, on beaches and sailboats, both locally and abroad. For the past ten years, Gillian has also worked in numerous consulting roles with various organizations connecting young people to community and place through project management and curriculum development initiatives. Gillian is a grateful guest on the traditional territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən speaking peoples.

This year the Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment (CPCHE) is working with our partners, affiliates and collaborators from across the country to turn the iconic yellow school bus green… by going electric.

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Every April CPCHE leads the Healthy Environments for Learning Day (HELD) campaign. This year’s campaign will promote the electrification of school buses across Canada as a tangible step in reducing children’s exposure to traffic-related air pollution, cutting carbon emissions, and providing a visible step forward on climate change. In this session, participants will learn about this year’s HELD campaign and opportunities to get involved, as well as the health benefits of school bus electrification for both children and the planet.

Outdoor Learning

This theme of the EcoSummit will focus on outdoor learning. Webinar topics include: how outdoor learning impacts our health and wellbeing.

Webinar

Presenter

Description

Recorded Webinars

Connecting with Nature and Self; An Outdoor Toolkit for Wellness

Audience: Students and adults

Available in EN only

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Renée Lalonde & Owen Bjorgan
District School Board of Niagara

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This presentation is led by Renée Lalonde and Owen Bjorgan, Outdoor Adventure Guides with the District School Board of Niagara. Renée holds a MSc. in Outdoor, Environmental and Sustainability Education from the University of Edinburgh, and is passionate about using outdoor learning as a tool to develop environmental literacy. Owen has his BSc. in Biodiversity from the University of Guelph and uses his time both professionally and recreationally to educate and connect others to the natural world. This presentation will explore a variety of activities that can provide viewers with a toolkit they can use to explore their natural environment with a deeper sense of mindfulness and connectedness. Throughout this session, we will virtually explore our beautiful forest in the Niagara region and will discuss how nature connection can benefit both the wellbeing of ourselves and the planet.

In our changing world, nature can play a crucial role in the support of our health and wellbeing. Turning to the natural world can allow us to gain a sense of connection that will not only provide tangible health benefits but can also aid in the fight against climate change by further developing us into environmentally conscious citizens.

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In this presentation, a variety of activities will be presented that will provide viewers with a toolkit they can use to explore their natural environment with a deeper sense of mindfulness and connectedness, while virtually exploring our beautiful forest in Niagara region.

Embrace the Outdoors: How to Integrate Outdoor Learning into Everyday

Audience: Students and adults

Available in EN only

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Jade Harvey-Berrill
The Outdoor Learning Store

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Jade is a Physical Geographer (BSc), Environmental Educator, Outdoor Instructor and Guide based in Revelstoke, BC.

Jade has been designing & delivering environmental education programs for over fifteen years, across four continents and seven countries. She runs Outreach and Events for the Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network (CBEEN) & The Outdoor Learning Store alongside her own educational consultancy ‘Stoked on Science’. In 2022 she hosted online Pro-D workshops that reached over 10,000 educators across Canada and the US.

Helping to support educators to take their learning outside brings her the greatest joy, alongside showing people her rock collection, learning the languages of the Sinixt and Ktunaxa First Nations and the sounds of crunchy Fall leaves or Winter snow beneath her feet.

Join Jade Harvey-Berrill, for this hands-on learning opportunity that will inspire and engage. Jade will share tips, tools tricks and resources available to aid in successful outdoor learning, with a focus on embracing and connecting to nature and integrating this into your everyday practice. 

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Whether you are a teacher, informal educator, recreational leader or student, this workshop will connect you to tools and resources available to enhance your time spent outdoors – to support your academic, mental and physical wellbeing.

Living the Dish with One Spoon: EcoSchools Greenbelt Biodiversity Action

Audience: Adults

Available in EN only

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Jennifer Budden
Toronto District School Board

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Jennifer Budden is a k-5 educator from Toronto, a settler on Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Mississaugas of the Credit territory. She has a background in International Education and Development work, which took her to countries including the Philippines, Liberia, Madagascar and Somalia, working in Education in Emergencies programming, Environmental Education curriculum development and research. As a classroom teacher, she strives to make learning about the environment hands-on and fun so students develop a love for the planet and take action to protect it. She is currently the Teacher Librarian and Grade 4 and 5 Core French Teacher leading the EcoSchools team and the Ecoliteracy Program at Parkside Elementary School in East York.

This webinar is focused on the Greenbelt Biodiversity Action, new to the EcoSchools Action Plan this year. This presentation is for anyone (students and teachers) interested in the Greenbelt Biodiversity Action, learning about watersheds, native and invasive species and how this EcoSchools Action could connect to Truth Reconciliation and climate justice actions at your school.

Le Journal de la Nature

Audience: Students and adults

Available in FR only

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Chantal Lariviere
Alliance Enfant et Nature du Canada

Lire la biographie

Au cours de ses 26 dernières années au sein du Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario, Chantal a enseigné au cycle préparatoire, au cycle primaire, et tout récemment comme accompagnatrice pédagogique. De 2013 à 2015, elle a participé au projet ministériel afin d’approfondir sespratiques pour la mise en œuvre de l’apprentissage par l’enquête dans sa salle de classe. Elle a également participé à l’élaboration de plusieurs ressources sur l’enquête en autre Curiosité naturelle, édition 1 et 2. Lors de son passage en Italie en mars 2018, elle a participé à une semaine d’études afin d’approfondir ses connaissances sur les principes de Réggio Émilia. Finalement, elle a joint l’organisme Alliance Enfant et Nature du Canada pour offrir des formations afin de réfléchir à l’importance du jeu et recréer un lien avec la nature tant pour les enfants que les adultes.

Les enfants ont besoin de la nature et nous, en tant qu’adulte, nous avons le devoir de la rendre accessible pour eux. 

Poursuivre la lecture

Il devient de plus en plus difficile pour les enfants de faire l’expérience de la nature dans ce monde de tests standardisés, d’électronique et de sports organisés. Cet atelier a pour objectif de présenter le journal de la nature qui permettra aux enfants de découvrir et redécouvrir le monde naturel qui les entourent. L’approche interdisciplinaire est au cœur des activités. L’enfant est invité à dessiner, d’écrire ses questions, ses hypothèses, etc. Lors de l’atelier, vous aurez la chance de vivre une expérience authentique et de regarder des échantillons des élèves. Invitons nos enfants à devenir de fins observateurs de la nature et de leur donner envie de la protéger.

Waste Reduction

Workshops for this theme include: vermicomposting and reducing food waste and understanding the lifecycle of single-use products.

Webinar

Presenter

Description

Recorded Webinars

Organic Magic with Worms

Audience: Adults and students

Available in EN only

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Cathy Nesbitt
Cathy’s Crawly Composters

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Cathy Nesbitt is a Health and Wellness Advocate. Founder of Cathy’s Crawly Composters (est 2002), Cathy’s Sprouters and Cathy’s Laughter Club. She is a multi award-winning environmental innovator who uses workshops and inspirational speaking to motivate people to live a more sustainable life. Cathy is a certified Laughter Yoga Teacher.

Discover how worms convert organic matter (food scraps and paper) into nature’s finest soil amendment known as castings. 

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Worms are going to play an ever-increasing role in waste management, soil production and therefore food security. Taking care of food scraps is one way we can all help mitigate climate change. Feed the soil, not the plant. Worms offer an incredible cross-curricular learning opportunity. Managing food waste is one way we can all help mitigate climate change.

How Students Served Wasted Food to Elected Officials and Got Away With It

Audience: Adults and students

Available in EN only

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Erin Wildeboer
Strathcona County

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Erin Wildeboer has been the Waste Diversion Program Liaison for Strathcona County for the past 15 years. Thinking outside the box (or waste cart!) is her specialty. Between throwing fun events, visiting over 45 classrooms every year, or running the community reuse centre, she is always coming up with new ideas on how to educate residents on the importance of waste reduction. Working with the 31 schools in Strathcona County is something Erin is passionate about. The EcoSchools program has been easy and fun to help schools participate in. Helping her former high school become Platinum certified has been a highlight. Watching teachers get excited and getting their students involved in everything from worms and bees, to food waste reduction and air quality inspires her. The kids are proud of the changes they make and we know those actions stick with them, creating amazing stewards for our Earth right in our own community.

In October 2022, Strathcona County worked with Salisbury Composite High Schools (An EcoSchools Platinum level school 2021-2022) culinary program to create a lunch out of rescued and locally sourced food. 

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Over 85% of what was served was headed for the landfill or animals. The lunch was served to over 70 people at the Circular Economy Summit put on by the Recycle Council of Alberta for elected officials and others across Alberta. The teacher and students created the menu, made all the food and served it and we would love to tell you all about how it came together for a hugely successful event.

Waste in our World

Audience: Adults and students

Available in EN only

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Stephanie Alcock
Green Calgary

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Stephanie Alcock is a certified teacher and worked as an elementary teacher in the UK. Since moving to Calgary, Stephanie has worked in numerous environmental education roles and currently works as an Environmental Education Manager with Green Calgary. Stephanie is particularly interested in delivering the curriculum through environmental topics and recently gained a post graduate certificate in Outdoor, Environmental and Sustainability Education from the University of Edinburgh.

What happens to your waste when you throw it away? We will explore what happens to our garbage, recycling and compost once it leaves our homes and schools. We will discover ways to reduce our waste, and why this is so important.

The Circular Economy

Audience: Adults and students

Available in EN & FR

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Emilie Rayner
EcoSchools Canada

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Emilie is the EcoSchools Canada Program Coordinator and is driven to find ways that allow youth to understand issues in their communities and empower them to take action.

Shift your thinking to the circular economy with the 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! This webinar teaches you the basics of the circular economy and highlights the EcoSchools actions and resources that bring principles of a circular economy into your individual lives, and contribute to your EcoSchools certification.

Mission Recyclage Compostage dans les écoles

Audience : Élèves et adultes

Disponible en français

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Nadège Lambert & Nathalie Gara-Boivin
Synergie Économique Laurentides

Lire la biographie

Nadège détient un baccalauréat en biologie ainsi que 2 maîtrises en environnement. Depuis 2019, elle travaille comme conseillère en gestion des matières résiduelles chez Synergie Laurentides. Elle accompagne aux changements de pratiques les industries, commerces et institutions (ICI) de la MRC de Deux-Montagnes, près de Montréal. Elle a aidé à développer plusieurs outils destinés spécifiquement aux ICI, écoles incluses, afin de les aider avec le tri adéquat de leurs déchets, recyclage et compost. En plus d’une solide expérience en environnement, elle a de l’expérience en restauration, gestion d’organismes communautaires et formation de personnel et bénévoles. Nathalie a un baccalauréat en Études environnementales et Géographie de l’Université d’Ottawa. Depuis plus de 20 ans, elle travaille dans le domaine de l’éducation environnementale en Ontario et plus récemment au Québec. Depuis, 2018 elle occupe le poste de Conseillère en gestion des matières résiduelles auprès des Institutions, Commerces et Industries (ICI) sur le territoire de la MRC des Laurentides. Elle a pour mandat de les aider à optimiser le tri des matières recyclables et instaurer le compost dans le cadre du projet Mission Recyclage Compostage. Elle travaille aussi avec les écoles afin de les aider à instaurer des pratiques écoresponsables, pour une bonne gestion de leurs matières résiduelles.

Nathalie et Nadège partageront une méthode pour la mise en place de la collecte de compost à l’école qui sera appuyée par des exemples d’accompagnement et de diagnostic de matières résiduelles qu’elles ont effectué dans des écoles dans le cadre du projet Mission Recyclage Compostage. Elles partageront aussi des ressources pour aider les écoles: démarrer une Brigade verte, activités pédagogiques, liste des étapes à suivre…

Cet atelier parlera de notre projet d’accompagnement dans les écoles pour l’implantation du compostage dans les écoles avec soutien (atelier, affiches, visite au site d’enfouissement, auto collants) dans les écoles primaires et secondaires dans Les Laurentides.

Poursuivre la lecture

Elle fait un diagnostic des besoins et fait la coordination avec les municipalités pour plus de bacs/conteneurs pour mieux desservir les écoles.

Climate Action

Workshops for this theme include: how to engage in citizen science for climate action, how to remain hopeful in the face of our climate reality, and how to engage in climate action at a local level. The EcoSummit will conclude with EnSpiration, where we will hear inspiring stories from youth leaders who are taking on climate action in their schools.

Webinar

Presenter

Description

Recorded Webinars

Climate Hero – An Online Escape Room where AI meets Climate Education

Audience: Adults and students

Available in EN only

Watch here

Pacific Museum of Earth & Steamlabs
Kirsten Hodge & Brenda Shivanandan

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Kirsten Hodge is the Director of the Pacific Museum of Earth, one the main outreach hubs at the University of British Columbia. She is a thinker, planner, and conduit between science experts and young minds. Trained as volcanologist and science educator, her current work aims to encourage critical thinking and reflection and inspire curiosity in her students and public visitors to the Pacific Museum of Earth, while inviting them to discover the value of science, not only in terms of knowledge acquisition but also aesthetic wonder. Her goal is to share science stories so that people feel more connected to our planet and their place within it.

Brenda Shivanandan (she/her) is the Lead Design and project manager of Steamlabs, a non-profit focused on developing science, technology, and AI educational experiences for science centers, museums, and other non-profits. As an educator, visual designer, and maker, her goal is to continue to work with communities to make AI knowledge convenient and comprehensible. By encouraging a broad understanding of AI, she believes that participants will not only be empowered to use AI as a useful tool, but also advocate for equitable, ethical, fair, and accountable policies from companies and governments.

Join us for a sneak peak of Climate Hero, an online Escape Room that combines AI technology and climate education. Imagine this: The year is 2063. Earth’s climate is noticeably changed. Extreme temperatures and precipitation bring intense heat waves, devastating floods, and worrisome droughts, threatening food supplies and the livelihood of local communities. 

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Players will enter this world, 40 years in the future, and be given the opportunity to go back in time (to today!) and make commitments to climate action. This contemporary immersive game synthesizes knowledge learned throughout the experience and tasks groups to “escape” from Earth’s climate crisis. Players will use critical thinking and collaboration skills to solve interactive challenges that communicate basic concepts of climate science and action.

Designing Knowledge Building Opportunities for Students’ Environmental Inquiry

Audience: Adults

Available in EN only

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Alysse Kennedy & Aleksa Nitsis
Natural Curiosity (JICS, OISE, University of Toronto)

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Alysse is a Doctoral Candidate at OISE researching environmental & sustainability education and climate justice. As a guest on Turtle Island she’s enthusiastic about Indigenous approaches to storying learning. Over the last six years she’s had incredible experiences teaching, researching and organizing programming specific to environmental and sustainability education and climate action. She’s thrilled to bring her skills and knowledge from past and ongoing work with the Toronto District School Board’s EcoSchools team, the OISE Sustainability & Climate Action Network, EcoSchools Canada, EcoSchools in Alberta, EECOM and the ESE-TE National Network. Alysse is a firm advocate for cross-curricular, creative and community-engaged learning as she believes teaching needs to be relevant, accessible and meaningful. She enjoys finding unique approaches to encourage educators to find the multifaceted ways we each connect to and make meaning of sustainability in our personal and professional lives. Aleksa Nitsis is a guest on Turtle Island and is the Program Manager for Natural Curiosity. Aleksa is an Ontario-certified history and geography high school teacher who is a recent graduate of the Master of Teaching program at OISE. As a passionate educator committed to the equity, mental health, and achievement of students, she has supported transformative and inquiry-based professional learning opportunities for the past two years as a Program/Graduate Assistant for Natural Curiosity. Aleksa is thrilled to unlearn and relearn alongside educators across Turtle Island to bring the importance of Indigenous perspectives into the heart of education, in the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation.

Combining theory and practice from Natural Curiosity in a relevant and accessible way, this session highlights how knowledge building can come alive in primary-junior classrooms to scaffold students’ explorations of environmental learning for climate action.

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Educators will be introduced to the key principles of knowledge building, its connections to inquiry, and their importance for engaging curious young minds. Join us to learn practical ideas for your classroom, including creating a physical space conducive to knowledge building, facilitating knowledge building circles, modelling an inquiry-based thinking process for students through responsive questioning, and strategies to set up pedagogical documentation for assessment.

Action Projects to Change the World!

Audience: Adults and students

Available in EN only

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Samantha Gawron
Learning for a Sustainable Future

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Sam Gawron (she/her) is the Manager of Programs, Engagement and Development at Learning for a Sustainable Future (LSF). Sam helps LSF empower Canadian students to change the world by engaging with all levels of our education system, including governments, school Boards, educators, and students across the country. She thinks every student from K-12 deserves to learn more about sustainability and climate change and have opportunities to make change. When she’s not travelling to other provinces to run LSF’s programs, Sam lives in Toronto where she likes cooking, rock climbing, and taking long walks along the waterfront.

So you’re worried about climate issues in your community and want to take action… Now what? 

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Our Action Project Planning workshop will show you what an Action Project looks like and help you consider your interests and skills, your sphere of influence, and the root causes of the issue so you can take on the best Action Project ever – with support and funding from LSF!

Beyond the Blue Bin: School-based Action for Young Environmental Leaders

Audience: Adults and students

Available in EN only

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Natalie Graveline & Laura Pekkola
Inside Education

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Inside Education is an Alberta-based environment and natural resource education charitable society. We have been supporting teachers and inspiring students to think critically about natural resource topics since 1985! With our full suite of no-cost teaching resources, youth summits, in-class and field programs, and full-scholarship professional development programs, Inside Education makes experiential environmental education accessible to schools across Alberta. Natalie Graveline is an Education Programs Lead based in Edmonton and her professional passion is sharing her excitement about nature with students! She has a background in Conservation Biology and Secondary Education and has found her dream job in a place where she can be the fun class guest and teach the topics she loves the most. Born and raised in Alberta, Natalie loves the summer in Edmonton, cats, camping, and knitting, and her favourite field trip activity is pond dipping! Laura Pekkola is an Education Programs Lead based in Edmonton. Her passion in environmental and natural resource education is connecting students to their communities and the natural world through experiences. She found her place in environmental education as the perfect way to share her background in Wildlife Biology, Forest Ecology and Environmental Management with students, and get them excited about nature. Having grown up in Ontario and Finland before arriving in Alberta, Laura loves to learn about Alberta’s landscapes both with students at work as well as on her own time walking her dogs and camping.

Join Inside Education to discover how we use youth environmental leadership programs to engage students in community action projects and connect them with environmental professionals. 

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Through these immersive and hands-on programs, students are introduced to various career opportunities in the environmental field; are connected with environmental professionals in industry, government, academia, and environmental organizations; and develop action projects in their schools so that they can begin a journey of meaningful stewardship of our natural resources.

Climate Change and Renewables

Audience: Adults and students

Available in EN only

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Dwight Peigan
Relay Education

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Dwight Peigan is Relay Education’s workshop facilitator for Saskatchewan. He has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from the First Nations University of Canada. In his free time, Dwight enjoys writing, fishing, hiking and playing with his son, Colin. Dwight is passionate about nature and the outdoors. He strongly believes that education is the foundation of success and encourages youth to find classes that pique their interest and align with their passions and values.

Explore how renewable energy can mitigate climate change. The Climate Change and Renewables workshop is designed to inspire deeper thinking of the impacts related to climate change and the use of renewable energy technology to alleviate those impacts.

Community Science and Climate Change

Audience: Adults and students

Available in EN only

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Dana Buchbinder
& Sara Kuruvilla
EcoSpark

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Dana Buchbinder (Citizen Science Coordinator) is a member of the Citizen Science Association. She graduated in 2012 with a Masters of Environmental Management degree from Duke University. Her citizen science research includes the Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas (Ontario Nature), community air sensors (U.S. EPA), and Delaware StreamWatch (Ashland Nature Center). Dana leads EcoSpark’s School Watch and Park Watch programs.

Sara Kuruvilla (Environmental Education Coordinator) has a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Biology and an advanced diploma in Ecosystem Management Technology, with an Indigenous Perspectives Designation. Sara believes it is vital to engage communities with their local natural spaces. Using her OBBN certification and knowledge of freshwater ecosystems, Sara now coordinates the Changing Currents program.

Get engaged in mitigating local climate impacts through hands-on scientific monitoring of school grounds and nearby green spaces. This community science workshop helps you begin today!

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EcoSpark provides training and support for class-led environmental monitoring with tree benefits, stream health, and more. All activities connect with global environmental contexts while highlighting positive actions that improve school grounds’ functions to mitigate climate change. EcoSpark remote and in-person (GTA) programs tailor activities for your school. Students use data to explore community planning. Investigate mapping activities using data and digital storytelling. Ongoing monitoring in subsequent years helps measure and assess the impact of student actions, building their sense of environmental agency.

Teaching Kids and Teens about Climate Change

Audience: Adults and students

Available in EN only

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Ian Shanahan
Green Teacher

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Ian Shanahan’s combined passions of nature, education, art, writing, editing, and storytelling have led him to Green Teacher, where he became the General Editor in 2018. This role has gradually expanded to include webinar hosting, podcast co-hosting, and the facilitating of PD sessions on climate change and biodiversity education. Across 13 seasons with Ontario Parks, Ian worked as a naturalist at Presqu’ile for eight years, a Species at Risk surveyor at Charleston Lake for one year, and a naturalist at Algonquin for four years, the last of which was spent backfilling as the coordinator of Algonquin’s renowned interpretive program. Concurrently, he completed his BAH at Queen’s University and then his BEd at the University of Toronto before becoming an Ontario Certified Teacher. Off the corner of his desk, Ian works as a voice actor, nature artist, writer, environmental consultant, and nature guide.

In this interactive, hands-on workshop, participants will be introduced to best practices in climate change education for students in elementary and secondary school. 

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This will include discussions of the four branches of climate change (global warming, climatic instability, consequences of global warming, and climatic flip); demonstrations of pedagogical approaches such as inquiry-based, place-based, and solutions-based learning; as well as an overview of pitfalls to avoid. Above all, we will focus on shifting from climate despair to climate empowerment. Free copies of select activities will be provided.

Comment Passer à l’Action Pour la Nature à l’école

Audience: Élèves et adultes

Disponible en français seulement

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Mireille Gauthier
WWF-Canada

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Mireille travaille avec l’équipe de Restauration et régénération en tant que Spécialiste associée en Action communautaire au WWF-Canada. Elle mène le programme de subventions Libérez votre nature à l’école, qui offre aux écoles la possibilité de lancer un projet de protection ou de restauration d’habitat dans leur communauté.

Le programme Planète vivante à l’école invite les enseignant.e.s et les élèves à agir pour aider la nature à s’épanouir, grâce à des activités concrètes dans la communauté scolaire. 

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Les activités encouragent les communautés scolaires à favoriser :

– L’apprentissage et la découverte de l’écosystème local, de son histoire, de sa biodiversité, de son fonctionnement et de ses besoins.

– La réalisation d’actions concrètes en faveur de la nature, comme la plantation de fleurs, de plantes et d’arbres indigènes pour créer, restaurer ou protéger un habitat.

– L’établissement de liens avec la collectivité pour générer des retombées durables.

L’atelier donnera un aperçu du programme Planète vivante @ l’école, en mettant l’accent sur la création d’un plan d’action pour restaurer les habitats.

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