Pre-summer break parties included celebrations in sustainability for three Greater Victoria classrooms, dubbed leaders in the Cool It! Climate Leadership Training Program.
Since the beginning of the school year, 2,742 students from 120 classrooms across the region participated in the BC Sustainable Energy Association’s program that empowers youth to take action on climate change. The workshops, available to classes in grades 4-12, help build students’ knowledge of climate change, including the key causes, impacts, and solutions. The workshops are then followed by a four-week take-home challenge that encourages the students to work with their friends and family to reduce their carbon footprint at home and in their communities.
The Capital Regional District (CRD) sponsored 35 classrooms to participate in the regional program, with additional workshops sponsored by the District of Saanich, City of Victoria, District of Oak Bay, District of Sooke, District of Central Saanich and the Town of View Royal.
During the challenge, students committed to 17,139 actions that reduce energy and carbon emissions at home, which will result in a projected savings of 499 tonnes of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) annually. Classes in the region that reduced their GHG emissions most significantly over the four-week period were awarded prizes. The winning classes for this year are: Margaret Jenkins Elementary (Victoria), Keating Elementary (Central Saanich), and Cedar Hill Middle School (Saanich).
Throughout the four-week challenge, students joined local climate action clubs; attended tree-planting events; planted food and pollinator gardens; did beach cleanups; started school carpooling groups; and mapped ways to make their communities more sustainable.
“When young people grasp what’s driving climate change and what we can do about it, they become some of the most engaged and effective voices for action,” said Rory Tooke, CRD senior manager of environmental innovation. “Cool It! gives students what they need to step up and lead, and it’s already making a real difference in their schools, homes, and communities.”
Visit bcsea.org/cool-it-climate-leadership-training to learn more.
