OUR CANADA PROJECT 2021 AWARD WINNERS
The LSF-RBC Our Canada Project Award is given annually to the top 3 projects posted on www.OurCanadaProject.ca to recognize outstanding student leadership and contributions to Canada’s sustainable future. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the 2019/2020 awards; therefore, the Our Canada Project 2021 Award evaluated submissions from the past two years. Each of the winning schools will be given a certificate of achievement acknowledging their successful project in addition to a financial prize to be used for future Action Projects:
- First place: $3,000
- Second place: $2,000
- Third place: $1,000
- Runner-ups (3 total): $500 each
Check out the winning projects below!
Thank you everyone for your wonderful projects! They were amazing—especially considering this extra-challenging year!
FIRST PRIZE
Duffins’ Defenders – DDSB@Home Elementary – Ajax, ON
The Duffins’ Defenders led a grassroots activism movement to help stop the proposed warehouse and parking lot development on a wetland connected to Duffins Creek. The students were inspired to take action not only because this wetland is an important part of their local watershed but also because the treaty territory of MSIFN was not consulted on the development. To take action, the students wrote a petition that Mike Schreiner, MPP and the Ontario Green Party Leader, agreed to read on their behalf in the Ontario legislature. This petition was so successful that a spokesperson from Amazon stated that they would not build a warehouse on a provincially significant wetland and the developer has promised not to develop on the land! The students also created an incredible documentary film as part of the Water Docs at School program.
View their post here https://ourcanadaproject.ca/place/duffins-defenders/
The students will be presented with the first-place award this fall 2021.
SECOND PRIZE
Learning for a Sustainable Future – Alvin A McKay – Laxgalts’ap, BC
This school wanted to promote healthy eating habits amongst their students, increase their interests in working outdoors, and connect students to their culture by teaching them different methods of food preservation. In Fall 2020, the students got the opportunity to plant garlic, perennial herbs and potatoes, which were later harvested by the teachers. Students then enjoyed activities such as utilizing dried herbs in cold-press soap making workshops, studying and practicing mindful observation with dried herbs and even making spaghetti sauce with the tomatoes and peppers for their student learning feast. The teachers are excited to continue their garden into the next school year and inspire more students!
View their post here https://ourcanadaproject.ca/place/learning-for-a-sustainable-future/
The students will be presented with the second-place award this fall 2021.
THIRD PRIZE
#YKYOUTH4CLIMATE – Sir John Franklin High – Yellowknife, NT
The student-led environmental club, SJF Green Team, led various Action Projects to advance climate action. The students first partnered with Ecology North to lead a social media campaign, ultimately raising $1,382 for the Nature Conservancy of Canada. Next, during Earth Week, the SJF Green Team designed and delivered over 45 presentations (virtually and in-person, in French and English) at every elementary and middle school in their district! The last of their action projects included a Walk for Climate, which was to be held outside the NWT Legislative Assembly. The SJF Green Team invited the younger students from their presentations to participate and confirmed the attendance with several members of the NWT Legislative Assembly and the Mayor of Yellowknife. This successful project gave the SJF Green Team a perfect model that they plan to re-use in the coming years, so stay tuned!
View their post here https://ourcanadaproject.ca/place/ykyouth4climate/
The students will be presented with the third-place award this fall 2021.
The following are the three Our Canada Project 2021 runner-ups listed in no particular order:
RUNNER-UP
TCI Grade 7C VS. Climate Change – Teulon Collegiate – Teulon, MB
The Teulon Collegiate Grade 7C students learned about and raised awareness of climate change through their media productions and reforestation efforts! Specifically, they prepared a section of a climate change article for their local newspaper, interviewed their Conservative MP, James Bexan, measured trees in their schoolyard to determine the amount of carbon they can store and even purchased 105 trembling aspens which they planted in an unused baseball diamond in their schoolyard. Two students created a YouTube video highlighting these initiatives. In addition, they promoted the importance of proper recycling on saving paper, more trees, and in turn, storing more carbon from entering the atmosphere. The students hope that these initiatives will carry on for years!
View their post here https://ourcanadaproject.ca/place/tci-grade-7c-vs-climate-change/
The students will be presented with the runner-up award this fall 2021.
RUNNER-UP
Amber Trails Farm – Amber Trails Community School – Winnipeg, MB
For four years, the Amber Trails Community School students have run a vegetable garden that grows organic food for community members, staff, and students. In the winter, students grow micro-greens for their canteen and foods program, whereas in the summer, they hold a summer farm camp. Here, the students work 2-3 days a week to seed, weed, water, harvest, package, process, and distribute the veggies on the farm. The students have become so impassioned with the project that one is now a paid employee with the title “Farm Co-coordinator.” The school hopes that the farm will continue to thrive and they will be able to offer summer employment for students who have put their time into the farm over the many years while attending Amber Trails Community School.
View their post here https://ourcanadaproject.ca/place/amber-trails-farm/
The students will be presented with the runner-up award this fall 2021.
RUNNER-UP
10 School Wide Projects – Port Elgin Regional School – Port Elgin, NB
Under the supervision of teacher Beth Weatherbee, the students at Port Elgin Regional School implemented TEN action projects!
- Pers Food Forest: Started the development of an open food forest at Port Elgin Regional School that anyone can visit and use.
- #PERS4TREES: The students planted 300 trees to help reforestation efforts in their community.
- Keeping Our Community Clean: Students built garbage cans to help keep their community clean.
- Small Scale Apiaries and Community Goods: Developed a small-scale apiary to increase pollinators and decrease the chances of a disease infecting the hive.
- Polar Bear Enviro-Action Project: Held a fundraising sale to raise money for polar bears.
- Bee Houses: Built bee houses to put up in trees around the school.
- Nesting Boxes: Built a nesting box to put up around the school.
- Enviro-Action Project 2021 – Eco-Warrior: Developed a video game focused on saving the planet and making a better future for society.
- Pollinator Garden: The students planted seeds to develop a pollinator garden aimed at helping their local butterflies and bees.
- Clothing Swap and Clothing Industry Pollution: The students held a clothing swap to reduce the consumption of clothing.
The students hope that their projects will help increase biodiversity, reduce consumption, eliminate unnecessary waste and raise awareness of climate impacts in their community and the world.
View their post here https://ourcanadaproject.ca/author/beth-weatherbee/
The students will be presented with the runner-up award this fall 2021.
HONOURABLE MENTION
Code for Climate Hackathon – Miles Macdonell Collegiate – Winnipeg, MB
In December, the Miles Macdonell Collegiate Hack Club and the Education for Sustainable Development club ran the environmental-themed hackathon, “Code for Climate.” The two clubs wanted to give their peers the tools to create something for the greater good of their community and show them how technology can play a role in climate action. 50 students participated, and in the end, one team won the “Most Educational” category with their project of creating a Google Action that gave instant feedback to questions such as “Hey Google, which plastics can I recycle?” Due to this successful hackathon, the student leaders presented their action project at the Manitoba LSF conference. Further, the hackathon’s success created a new club at their school called GEMS, which encourages female students to participate in projects and leadership opportunities related to STEAM (Science, Technology and the Arts).
View their post here https://ourcanadaproject.ca/place/code-for-climate-hackathon/
The students will be presented with an Honourable Mention certificate this fall 2021.
HONOURABLE MENTION
Backyard Chicken Project – New Myrnam School – Myrnam, AB
The students at New Myrnam School started building a sustainable small-scale chicken coop to benefit their school and community. Due to the location of their remote village (30 minutes from the closest town), the chicken coop aimed to reduce the students’ carbon footprint by alleviating trips to the grocery store while also having a positive effect on their farm towns watershed. Their building plans are well thought out, as the students planned for a rainwater collection system, an outside-accessible collection box for eggs and a manure collection tray. This small-scale chicken operation will really help to provide food for the school’s breakfast and foods program and may even serve as a model, enabling the implementation of more chicken coops across the village.
View their post here https://ourcanadaproject.ca/place/backyard-chicken-project/
The students will be presented with an Honourable Mention certificate this fall 2021.
HONOURABLE MENTION
Vers une réduction du plastique dans l’environnement – École Rocher-du-Nord – St. John’s, NL
Ce projet s’inscrit dans la philosophie « zéro déchet ». Il avait pour but de sensibiliser les élèves et leur famille, les enseignants et la communauté à la consommation de plastique, au suremballage et aux effets du plastique sur l’environnement.
Pour réduire notre consommation de produits emballés et transformés et pour diminuer l’utilisation de sacs de magasinage en plastique, nous avons :
– fait du savon dans le cadre d’un atelier offert par une jeune entrepreneure de la région ;
– fait des papiers d’emballage ciré avec des morceaux de coton ;
– conçu et fabriqué trois différentes sortes de sacs réutilisables : des sacs à magasinage en coton, des sacs à vrac légers et des sacs pour transporter nos livres.
View their post here https://ourcanadaproject.ca/fr/place/vers-une-reduction-du-plastique-dans-lenvironnement/
The students will be presented with an Honourable Mention certificate this fall 2021.
HONOURABLE MENTION
The Green Team – Dorion Public School – Dorion, ON
The Dorion Public School, located in Northwestern Ontario, has a snack program to receive fresh fruit and vegetables weekly. Unfortunately, due to the school’s small population, the snacks begin to spoil before the shipment can be fully eaten. The 6/7/8 class at Dorion Public School and The Green Team took it upon themselves to develop a school-wide vermicompost system to solve this issue! The students saw the opportunity to take it a step further by creating a school vegetable garden to maintain tomatoes, peppers, beans, peas, kale, spinach, carrots, cucumbers, zucchini and lettuce. The students have commented on how planting seeds and caring for a garden benefits not only the environment but also their mental health and well-being. The Green Team is currently planning to expand this project by building a school greenhouse in Fall 2021.
View their post here https://ourcanadaproject.ca/place/the-green-team/
The students will be presented with an Honourable Mention certificate this fall 2021.
For more information please contact:
Sam Gawron
samantha@lsf-lst.ca
1 877 250 8202