Student EarthCARE Initiatives at Frederick Banting Alternate Site

The students at Frederick Banting Alternate site have been hard at work to raise environmental awareness in their school and community.

Both glass and battery recycling areas have been established and every day a different pair of students collects the paper recycling bins from every classroom. Students have also been busy making L.O.C.O. posters and updating our EarthCARE bulletin board. The bulletin board provides a day-to-day reminder of the programs continually happening at the school, as well as features student environmental artwork and educational posters.

Students recently conducted the final required EarthCARE audit, awarding the class with the best results a prize. This audit was kept a secret from both staff and students until the following day when the results were announced and explained. In addition, our environmental awareness extends to our fund raising efforts. At our coffee and bake sales we used the "Lug-a-mug" concept and raised money for the Canadian Hunger Foundation (CHF) Partners in Rural Sustainable Development to help sustainable development projects in third world countries.

Student run activities such as the "Banting Bargain Barn" have been held with tremendous success. The concept behind the Banting Bargain Barn is as follows: Used goods were collected from staff and students and were displayed and sold within the school for a minimum charge. All funds raised were donated once again to CHF, as well as to the tsunami relief effort. To learn more about C.H.F. please go to www.chf-partners.ca.

Students involved in the EarthCARE program organized a garbage weigh-in. They collected garbage at the end of each day from every classroom for a one-week period. The data from the weighing were then organized, and each classroom was in competition with all the others to reduce their end of day garbage accumulation. A large poster provided visual day-to-day imagery of the ongoing results. The winning class was rewarded with donuts.

In addition to all the activities held at school, an EarthCARE catalyst has prepared an article for submission to a local community paper about our environmental activities.

It is through efforts like these that the students hope to inspire others to try to make a difference in our community and in the world.

Mike Stanton, Sarah Crane, Kayleigh Singleton, Stephanie Harrison, Janet Perry