Faces of Education
Sustainable students, sustainable schools
If you want to change the future start now and begin with children.
It was with this in mind that School District 47’s Sustainable Schools Committee (SSC) was created in 2008. Jenna Adema, Ryan Barfoot, Graham Cocksedge, Lucien Ervington, Scott Fisher, Darcy Gesell, Tanya Hobson, Mary James, Kevin Morris and Karin Westland make up the committee.
The group’s mission statement is to facilitate environmental education opportunities district wide and help the district reduce its ecological footprint.
“It’s like an advisory committee to other groups in the district who wish to take steps towards sustainability,” says Barfoot. “The SSC suggests more sustainable practices from infrastructure to education to procedures in the school.”
Inclusiveness is key which is why every school, administration, CUPE, PAC members and students are welcomed to be involved. With student level to system based decision making as their model, the committee is a good example of how the different groups can work together.
“Ecological thinking is often reflected as fiscal responsibility. The district has installed computer shut down software which has made a significant reduction in energy usage and operating costs,” says Barfoot.
The SSC welcomes input from anyone in the district. “Anyone who has an idea of how to reduce our ecological footprint is welcome to speak with us,” says Barfoot.
People can apply for small grants to fund sustainable projects, says Westland.
School District 47 has allocated money for projects and given it to the committee to distribute.
“There are funding opportunities for all schools in the district or district groups for creative projects that make difference on the ground,” says Barfoot. Money is available for specific projects or infrastructural changes.
Gesell spearheaded the idea of all schools having composters. “It is still in progress,” she says. Not all schools have composters yet. Finding the perfect “critter proof” composter was challenging but Gesell came
across Lauritz Chambers of Critter Proof Composters. These composters are made of stone and have a metal lid that locks.
Earlier this year students helped Lauritz build the first composter at Henderson. Lauritz donated all his labour and the SSC paid for materials.
Throughout the year, the SSC sponsors special events that educate the public and benefit the community. The Trash Bash (community cleanup) takes place Saturday, April 24 at 10 am from Willingdon Beach.
“Last year we got 13 tonnes of garbage and we didn’t even touch what was there,” says Cocksedge. “While we were there cleaning it up, two trucks came by and were ready to dump stuff along the pole line but they saw a crew of students cleaning up the woods and they didn’t,” adds Barfoot. “It was an interesting moment.”
The idea is to educate the children and youth. “If the kids realize how much trash is out there those kids start
telling other kids who have parents dumping garbage.”
The committee funded a worm composting project at James Thomson Elementary School and the Community
Caretakers Conference, a day for youth. This was a major event where students had the opportunity to collaborate with local sustainability leaders to learn practical ways to live positive social and environmental changes,” says Westland.
She uses excessive plastic packaging as an example of how we can draw attention to issues. “We should address this issue at source. A lot of what we put in the recycling bin is in fact not recycled.”
Barfoot pipes in. “The public should demand more; do we want all this plastic packaging shipped into Powell River? Do we want our youth to be cleaning it up from the pole line? Why not purchase bulk and save the waste?”
The committee is also facilitating a three-year program called Destination Conservation. “We felt this educational program had the potential to make some measurable change,” said Barfoot.
Another project the SSC supported was Katherine McLean’s Heron Rookery environmental educational project. This was offered last summer as a Pro D opportunity for teachers and a workshop for students.
What began as just the Brooks clubhouse is taking a different course. “We asked the stakeholders, ‘How can we
build in a way that practically reflects our goals as a educational institution?’ The whole project has become more than a clubhouse; it’s a green building demonstration,” says Barfoot.
The committee has established an environmental youth leadership award which will recognize contributions that youth are making in this area. This award will be presented in June.
Cocksedge encourages students, teachers, and others working with students to let the committee know about their projects. “If we hear one school is doing something that could benefit the district, we can help make it district wide.”
Westland agrees. “We want to make sure those opportunities are available to all schools in the district. For instance, we can bring in a guest speaker who can talk to students at several schools instead of just one.”
It’s all about doing things right. It’s about modelling the best practices, mentoring youth and acting with integrity.
“We (adults) need to demonstrate that we care about the world they will inherit,” says Barfoot.
In the quest towards a greener world, the Sustainable Schools Committee produces a monthly newsletter. Please visit www.outdoors.sd47.bc.ca to view the Green Glance newsletter.
