EarthCARE in the Schools

Merivale High School teacher Kelly Lee coordinated the EarthCARE Fair and comments that she has "a wonderful group of students that do a wonderful job with all that we do. We are much more conscientious with lights, computers, recycling and we remember to have fun, too!"

The schools complete regular audits to ensure that the project is on track. Secondary students serve as EarthCARE Catalysts whose role is to promote environmental action at their own school as well as to take the message to their elementary and middle schools. Events such as litterless lunch week and upgrading recycling programs bring visible change.

Catalyst Lynne Bosquet, a Grade 12 student and EarthCARE catalyst at Merivale H.S., has helped with audits and worked on posters with the students at two local elementary schools. "It's easier to get kids more involved with the environment when they're younger so they're more likely to conserve when they're older and to recycle and to realize the importance of it."

Michelle Caputo, also a catalyst at Merivale High School, notes that it can be more difficult to get environmental concerns across in high schools, but EarthCARE is making progress. "We have a good program here. People are starting to realize what they can recycle; our boxes are getting much cleaner and we have to do less sorting every week. EarthCARE is a step to a cleaner environment."

Elementary schools are enthusiastically behind the program with school-wide poster competitions, regular energy use audits, recycling and attention to LOCO. Johanna Cutts spearheads the environmental work at Blossom Park Public School and says, "I think it's something that every school should be participating in."

EarthCARE team member Miranda Mole, a Grade 8 student at Blossom Park, who plans to continue her environmental work in high school next year, comments on how students react to the program: "Everybody at the school is very helpful and they do their part."

Marc Rennie, also an EarthCARE Blossom Park team member, thinks the work of EarthCARE is important because "it's all about looking after the environment and, if you do your part, then it will look after you."

EarthCARE means that elementary school students of all ages take part in preserving the environment, becoming aware, as Timour Ibrahim, also a Blossom Park student, says that "whatever we do now will impact future generations."

Their teacher, Johanna Cutts, concludes, "We have to take things in hand today if there's going to be a tomorrow. EarthCARE has been a positive experience here. We have a school with many different nationalities and students with varying socio-economic backgrounds and by doing things together for the environment, we're all on the same page."

"The educational component of the program helps students themselves develop into responsible citizens and environmental stewards of the planet," says Lynn Graham, Chair of the Board.

"The EarthCARE program has been very successful. You can walk into most of our schools and see signs of environmental action at work," says Diane Jeudy-Hugo, Superintendent of Facilities at the OCDSB. "Those are the measures of success of the program - you can see things that are actively happening."