Vision

“Paying Carbon Tax with Climate Action!” is a project that has helped MAA middle school students foster a sense of ownership and empowerment in tackling environmental issues. By allowing students to choose action goals that resonated with their interests and communities, they became more engaged and motivated to make a difference. This project also highlighted critical thinking and problem-solving skills, as students researched, planned, and implemented their ideas. Working on climate action initiatives in groups with like-minded peers promoted collaboration and communication, helping students develop teamwork skills while raising awareness about sustainability. As we’ve discovered at MAA, personalized learning projects make learning relevant and impactful, and in this case, the project means to instill a lifelong commitment to environmental stewardship.

Action

To launch the project, we handed out envelopes to our students with a carbon tax invoice, and some sample ideas for how they could repay their carbon tax debt of 15 tons. Students were tasked to make a real-world difference, however small, for us to consider it climate action. We rallied our students with a fun launch to get them excited about the project and invited local experts to speak and mentor our student groups, depending on the projects they choose to pursue. The project culminated in a large public Climate Action Expo where parents and community members were invited to come visit and speak to students about their projects.

Below are some of the projects from 2/10 classes who participated:

7E
Sierra, Makeda, Catalina- Qualité d’aire, émission des usines Smog Tower (diorama fait de matériaux réutiliser)
Jaycob & Braylin- Vente de jouets, acheter les plantes, barreaux de l’eau de pluie

Spencer, Jack, Will, Cole- Journée sans tech et activité dehors
Asher- L’importance de l’eau pour les humains, First Nations Connection
Lennox- Capacité des poumons et qualité d’aire
Katherine, Bella, Kacie, Payton- Plant-based potluck
8E
Jace, Declan, Koen, Maxx – tester de collecter le composte à l’école- school-wide reoccuring initiative
Camden, Dryden- Déchets électroniques
Quincy, Dallas, Tristan- Recyclage- school-wide reoccuring initiative
Willow, Abrey, Brycen- Nettoyage de plage, diorama fait de matériaux réutiliser
Charlotte, Allie, Emma – Manger locale
Emilee, Kamryn, Madalyn, Mya- Litterless lunch Challenge
Reid, Jonah, Jackson, Mikaiah- Audit des déchets

Reflection & Celebration

Our job as teachers was to make sure students felt the process, and to help get them over the mountains, through the road blocks and show them they could do it and persevere. We helped students chronicle their unique journey clearly and beautifully in a finished project. At the student expo and throughout the journey, the enthusiasm and passion for climate action, no matter how big or how small, was so refreshing and satisfying to see as a teacher. It was everything! The future is bright!

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