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Become a certified EcoSchool in NB!

Join the EcoSchools movement and lead your school towards environmental excellence.

Registration for the 2024-25 school year is open!

Hey New Brunswick! Ready to embark on an eco-journey?

Join a thriving community of schools committed to sustainability and environmental education. Our innovative and bilingual certification program is free for publicly funded schools, it helps to incentivize, track and reward environmental actions that reduce energy and waste, raise awareness and incorporate environmental learning into curriculum.

We are also proud to be partnering with The Gaia Project, a New Brunswick organization that is bringing the EcoSchools program to school communities near you!

Join the EcoSchools Movement

EcoSchools in New Brunswick

Create a plan by Nov 29 for a chance to win a Garden Tower 2 for your school!

How to register and create a plan

Joining the EcoSchools program couldn’t be easier! Learn how to register and create a plan by watching the videos or following the steps below.

Go to app.ecoschools.ca and click “Register.”

Fill out the contact information, please use your board / district / division email address if possible.

Create a Plan! Choose from our suggested plans or create your own. 

Whatch these videos on how to register in the ECA, manage your plan, and get started!

Contest Rules and Regulations

1. Sponsor. This contest (the “Contest”) is sponsored and administered by EcoSchools Canada and The Gaia Project. The sponsors are referred to as the “Sponsor”.

2. Eligibility. This Contest is open to all K-12 schools located in New Brunswick. By participating in this Contest, entrants acknowledge compliance with, and agree to be bound by, these Contest Rules. Entrants who do not comply with any of the Contest Rules are subject to disqualification by the Sponsor, in Sponsor’s sole discretion. All applicable federal, provincial and/or local laws and regulations shall apply to the Contest and your participation.

3. Contest Dates and Times. The Contest begins on September 1, 2024, at 12:01am ET and ends on November 29, 2024, at 11:59pm ET (the “Contest End Date”), after which time the Contest will be closed and no further entries will be accepted, unless at the discretion of the Sponsor in the event of a contest extension.

4. How to Enter. You can enter by:

i) Registering on the EcoSchools Certification Application; ii) creating a plan. Entries that are late, lost, stolen, illegible, contain false information, are damaged, misdirected, mutilated, garbled or incomplete, altered or otherwise irregular or that do not conform with or satisfy any or all of the conditions of the Contest Rules are void. Entrants grant Sponsor a non-exclusive licence to use all entries for any purpose. No correspondence will be entered into except with the Selected Entrant. Proof of transmission (for example, screenshots or captures) does not constitute proof of entry or receipt of an entry.

5. Contest Prize. There is one (1) prize to be won by participating users, and consists of the following: i) One Garden Tower 2. The winners assume any and all liability for any injury or damage caused or claimed to be caused, by entering, participating in this Contest, or the use or redemption of a prize.

6. Odds of Winning. The odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received before the Contest End Date.

7. Winner Selection and Confirmation. On or before December 15, 2024 (the “Selection Date”), the Sponsor, or an employee, agent or another representative of the Sponsor, will review the entries received before the Contest End Date and select the potential winners (the “Selected Entrants”) based on the contest criteria. The Selected Entrant will be deemed the winner if they meet all of the eligibility criteria set out in these Contest Rules. If a Selected Entrant does not meet the eligibility criteria, they will be disqualified and will not receive a prize, and another entrant will be selected. It is important that the participants have enabled receipt of direct messages on Twitter so they can be contacted by EcoSchools Canada. Before being declared a winner, the Selected Entrant will be required to: (i) correctly answer the Sponsor’s skill-testing question; (ii) sign and return the Sponsor’s Declaration of Eligibility and Liability/Publicity Release form (the “Winner Release”); and (iii) comply with all other Contest Rules, all in the sole discretion of the Sponsor. The Selected Entrants will be notified within two (2) business days of the contest selection. Up to three (3) attempts will be made to contact the Selected Entrant. A Selected Entrant that does not or cannot accept a prize may be forfeited and a new Selected Entrant may be selected by the Sponsor’s sole discretion. A signed copy of the Sponsor’s Winner Release must be received by the Sponsor no later than ten (10) business days after the Selected Entrant is notified. Sponsor is not responsible for the failure for any reason whatsoever of a Selected Entrant to receive notification or for the Sponsor to receive a Selected Entrant’s response.

8. Release and Indemnification. All winners must: (i) confirm compliance with all Contest Rules; (ii) agree to accept prizes as awarded; (iii) release, discharge and hold harmless the Sponsor and each of their departments and agencies, parent, related and affiliated companies, subsidiaries, franchisees, advertising and promotional agencies, counsel, marketing partners, and each of their respective directors, officers, employees, shareholders, successors, sponsors, partners, licensees, subsidiaries, agents, artists, advisors, assignees, and all others associated with the administration, development and execution of the Contest (the “Released Parties”) from and against any and all manner of action, cause of action, claim or demand, loss or injury, use or misuse of a prize or any travel related thereto, and the use of entries by the Sponsor, suit, debt, covenant, contract, including legal fees and expenses, whatsoever, including but not limited to, claims based on negligence, breach of contract and fundamental breach, failure of any third-party contractor or supplier used in connection with any aspect of the Contest to perform or deliver any goods or services, any act of God or any other event beyond the Released Parties’ control, any dissatisfaction of any kind by a winner with any aspect of the Contest or any prize, liability for physical injury, death, or property damage which the entrants, their successors or assigns have, and the entrants’ students and staff might have or could have suffered, by reason of or arising out of the entrant’s participation in the Contest and/or in connection with the acceptance and/or exercise by the entrant of prizes as awarded; and (iv) indemnify the Released Parties against any loss, damage or expense, including legal fees, that any of the Released Parties may suffer or incur as a result of any non-compliance by entrants with any of the Contest Rules or participation in the Contest and/or in connection with the acceptance and/or exercise by an entrant of a prize, and the use of entries by the Sponsor.

The Sponsor is not responsible for: (i) incorrect or inaccurate entry information that may affect a person’s ability to participate in the Contest or be awarded a prize, including but not limited to human error, technical malfunctions, lost or delayed entries for any reason, mail failures, omission, or any combination thereof, and entries that fail to fully comply with these Contest Rules; (ii) technical failures of any kind, including, but not limited to malfunctions, interruptions, or disconnections in phone lines or network hardware or software; (iii) lost, incomplete, delayed, mutilated or misdirected entries or Winner Releases; (iv) injury or damage to entrants’ computers or to any other individual’s computer related to or resulting from participating in, or downloading any material regarding the Contest or accepting a prize; (v) any injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrant’s participation in the Contest or receipt or use or misuse of any prize, including any related travel and the use of entries by Sponsor; (vi) the security or privacy of information transmitted via computer networks or for breaches of privacy due to interference by third-party computer hackers or otherwise; or (vii) late, lost, misdirected or unsuccessful efforts to notify a potential winner.

9. Other Conditions. The Sponsor reserves the right to terminate or amend this Contest at any time and in any way, without prior notice to entrants. Without limiting the foregoing, if, for any reason, the Contest is not capable of running as originally planned for any reason, the Sponsor reserves the right to cancel the Contest and conduct a random draw from all previously-received eligible entries received by the Contest End Date. The Sponsor will keep entrant’s personal information in accordance with their Privacy Policies. To consult the Sponsor’s Privacy Policy, please visit EcoSchools Canada.

10. Publicity and Entrant Information. By participating in the Contest, entrants consent to the use of name, address, email address, postal code, telephone number, social media handle(s), comments and image, whether on videotape, photograph or any other means, for the administration of the Contest or any publicity carried out by the Sponsor, without further notice or compensation.

11. Law. The Contest is void where prohibited by law and is subject to all applicable Canadian federal, provincial, territorial, municipal and local laws. This Contest shall be governed exclusively by the laws of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, including all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Contest rules, rights and obligations between entrants and the Sponsor, and procedural provisions, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules. Any dispute shall be adjudicated by the courts sitting in the Province of New Brunswick.

12. Intellectual Property. All intellectual property, including but not limited to trademarks, logos, designs, promotional materials, web pages, source codes, images, drawings, illustrations, slogans and representations are owned by the Sponsor. All rights reserved. Unauthorized copying or use of any of the Sponsor’s intellectual property without the express written consent of the Sponsor is strictly prohibited.

EcoSchools Program FAQ

How does the program work?

Each year, you collaborate with key members of your school community (students, teachers, school administrators, custodians, and parents/guardians, etc.) to create an action plan and apply for certification by completing the actions outlined in the plan.  Schools build an EcoTeam to accomplish each action and the results of each action are recorded in the online EcoSchools Certification Application (ECA) to earn points. At the end of the school year, your certification application is assessed and a certification level ranging from Bronze to Platinum is awarded.

For more information, check out the Certification Guide and the What is Certification? page.

We want to become an EcoSchool! How do we get started?

First, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the program: What is Certification?

Once you’re familiar with the program, the next step will be to register on the EcoSchools Certification Application (ECA) platform. See: New users – How to register

Then, you will be able to review the various EcoSchools actions and start curating your plan for the year.

What is the EcoSchools Certification Application (ECA)?

The EcoSchools Certification Application (ECA) platform is where all schools start their EcoSchools applications each year. The application houses over 50 environmental and climate change actions with corresponding resources, and provides you the opportunity to curate a unique action plan that can be updated and revised throughout the year.

Schools and boards that have certified with the EcoSchools program in the past will notice the ECA offers a new and refreshed online application and certification experience.

The ECA is the culmination of over three years of consultation and development with stakeholders in the education and environment sectors and has led to a more flexible, customizable, data-driven, and accessible certification platform.

Key features of the ECA:

  • The application is intuitive, easy to navigate, and more streamlined than ever before.
  • There is no limit on the number of members that can be added to a school’s application, making collaboration between students, teachers, and other school community members easier than ever.
  • Schools can develop their own yearly plan to meet the unique needs, interests, and priorities of their school and community.
  • Schools can select from, and engage in, more than 50 environmental actions. From Pollinator Garden to Reduce Harmful Single-use Plastics; from Active and Sustainable School Travel to Create Your Own Action.
  • All actions are connected to curriculum, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, as well as relevant worksheets and resources.
  • The platform tracks tailored and shareable metrics (such as waste diversion and greenhouse gas emissions) through a distinct Impact page.
  • Schools track their impact over time on the platform and can compare their journey to other schools across the country.

How are schools recognized for their achievement?

Throughout the school year, schools complete actions in their online application and earn points towards their certification. The depth and extent of these completed environmental actions will determine the school’s final certification level.

There are four levels of certification a school can achieve: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Any school that creates a plan on the EcoSchools Certification Application but is unable to submit for certification (a minimum of 50 points) will be recognized as a Participant school.

When a school becomes a certified EcoSchool, they receive a digital certification seal that reflects their certification level. This seal can be displayed on a school’s website and social media accounts, in newsletters, in email signatures, and more.

Is there a fee for certification?

Certification is free for all publicly-funded schools in Canada. 

Independent/private schools pay an annual fee to apply for certification and access the online EcoSchools Certification Application (ECA). This fee enables access to curriculum-linked resources and certification recognition materials. The annual fee also provides schools with access to certification support throughout the year from EcoSchools Canada staff.

School boards/districts can pay a small annual fee to become a Member Board or District, which includes access to an EcoSchools Certification Application (ECA) administrator account, support tools and resources, and enhanced certification support and guidance from EcoSchools Canada staff. Visit the Board/District page for more information.

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