Vision

Our project began with just a thought, a spark from our community and an urge to make the world a better place. Our Grade ⅞ Eco club from St. Justin Martyr Catholic Elementary School had a dream, and we would see it to completion. Achieving this, essentially conducting our club work to ensure that this is an educational journey for us to show more stewardship to the Earth. However, at the heart of our project lies education, teaching others and also learning together. We set out to make this a meaningful task, one that can benefit all those who embark on this journey of learning, reflection and transformation. Fitting into the priorities of the LSF foundation, our project ties into many of the U.N. sustainable development goals. Some of the goals, though our project is not limited, include:
Good health and well-being (SDG 3) – By promoting healthy habits and allowing younger students to spend more time surrounded by peers.
Quality Education (SDG 4) – Teaching the importance of preserving justice in our environment and honouring the traditions of the Indigenous people who lived before us.
Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6) – As part of a community that promotes environmental stewardship, we acknowledge the importance of clean water. As such, we promoted the use of distilled water when supplying the plants with nutrition.
Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (SDG 9) – Themes of innovation, infrastructure, and design were incorporated into the building of the terrarium, as the students participating in our project used their creativity to construct the interiors of the jars.
Sustainable cities and Communities (SDG 11) – A sustainable school community was the primary objective of our terrarium project, and this goal was achieved through the terrariums themselves. We made our school a more eco-friendly place, aligned with the principles of SDG 11
Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12) – By supporting local businesses and purchasing our materials (jars, spray bottles, plants) from thrift stores. As well as responsible uses of our energy
Climate Action (SDG 13) – By raising awareness for climate change and emphasizing the importance of reusing and recycling, such as teaching about soil health, composting and sustainability, we help others see the importance of recycling, one small step at a time.
Life on Land (SDG 15) – By helping younger generations learn how to take care of a mini-ecosystem, we encourage the preservation of plants on Earth.
Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions (SDG 16) – We promoted justice and inclusivity to our community as well as encouraging students to live a life of environmental stewardship, which in turn makes peace and justice.

Action

We were able to reach 48 students in our school personally and around 250 students out of the 600 students in our entire school indirectly. Now, the community that surrounds our action plan consists of 11 teachers and approximately 300 students. The knowledge that we passed on will be passed on through families and could eventually reach thousands of people throughout Toronto.
What once seemed like an insuperable obstacle of making a lasting difference in the community was quickly overcome by us, our supporters and funders, and our respectful school body.
This journey has been an opportunity to promote eco-friendliness, and a trial to test our perseverance, integrity, and responsibility. Through the generous donations and support of proponents, we managed to help the environment and discover ourselves. Win or lose, we will always be grateful for this chance to help and represent our school.

Reflection & Celebration

The funding from the LSF was undoubtedly put to good use, our terrariums serving as a symbol of resilience of the natural world for all to behold. The teachers of the younger students especially told us only positive things about the experience, and the impact it had on their students. They students look forward to taking care of the terrariums, singing songs to it and dancing around it to encourage growth – even naming some of the plants! It was truly important to us to teach these younger members of our school community about the importance of caring for our environment. Using the funding, instead of just preaching about “sustainability” and “growth” we were able to physically show each of these 10 classes the importance of protecting our water table from drought and pollution, the dangers of climate change and the beauty of nature. Learning how to care for Earth as a whole, inevitably comes from a much smaller place of understanding. This could promote and encourage environmental stewardship in students across grade divisions.
For the leftover plants and substrates, we are planning on creating a larger class terrarium with a water flow element. The presence of live plants and the sound of flowing water will aid in improving the mental health of all students, especially during the busy last few weeks of school.