Green Teams
Teaching our children to live sustainably is a key part of preparing them for the future.
School based green teams can provide students and staff with an excellent opportunity to have a positive impact on the planet. One can easily become overwhelmed in the face of the environmental issues that we face on a global level. By focussing on what can done in our daily lives on a local level we can start to empower our students and our communities to become more environmentally friendly. Each and every day, each and every one of us has an impact on the planet, it is up to us to decide what type of impact that will be. Green teams provide students with an outlet for positive action. The projects they undertake encourage them to think about the impact of their actions on their communities and the world as a whole. Some examples of past green team initiatives are:
- Lights out when you leave the room
- Vehicle Anti-idling
- Litterless lunches
- Bike to school week
- Building a bug hotel
- Establishing a community garden
In order to help schools establish green teams the district has created a number of resources and supports. The Green Team Guide provides some guidance for team leaders about how to organize their team and has a catalogue of potential discussion topics to get students thinking about different environmental issues. The Green Team Grant provides teams with some money to help fund initiatives at their school as well as the opportunity to earn achievement badges and team awards for completing various activities. The Green Team Grant Structure also contains a catalogue of potential projects with ready to use checklists, signs and other supporting documents to help teams get started.
If you are interested in starting a green team at your school contact Energy@abbyschools.ca to learn more or to apply for the Green Team Grant Program.