EarthCARE in Action
Richard Pfaff SAP student Ron Scharfe presented the student
perspective in his keynote speech at the 2005 EarthCARE
Expo.
Richard Pfaff Secondary Alternate Program
EarthCARE Team Achievements
October 2004 - June 2005
Richard Pfaff SAP is one of four alternate secondary schools in the OCDSB that participated in the EarthCARE program this year. It was the first year for their participation.
The accomplishments identified in this article are indicative of the difference students and staff can make. Well done!!!
The following bullet points, grouped by environment, animals,
and humans, list the Richard Pfaff SAP EarthCARE achievements.
For the Environment
- Conducted energy audits in our school last fall and this spring
- Educated students class-to-class on our new recycling system
- Instigated glass recycling and used battery recycling collections
- Replaced the school's plastic plates and cutlery with permanent dishes/cutlery bought at the Goodwill
- Created and affixed "Please turn me off after use" stickers on the schools light switches and computers
- Attended the school board's "EarthCARE Expo", where we were
the proud home team of the student keynote speaker, Ron Scharfe
- Held bi-weekly potluck lunches (all items made from scratch) at our meetings, to promote the reduction of buying packaged goods, and awareness of our food choices
- Contacted five local river keeper organizations to offer our services for shoreline cleanups
- Made and hung environmental education posters in the school regarding what we can do about rainforest destruction, oil spills and fast food downfalls
- Initiated and maintained a compost bin and vermicomposter in our school for biodegradable wastes
- Harvested soil from the composter to use on the school garden
For Animals
- Organized a school coffee house and bake sale to raise funds for adopting an orphaned chimpanzee through the Jane Goodall Institute
- Sponsored (with $ from above coffee house) Timi, an orphaned chimp from the Congo
For Humans
- Fundraised for the Asian tsunami disaster relief (raised $1800, with a student population of only 200!)
- Organized a one-week school clothing exchange, "Drop Your Pants (Off)", and donated the leftover clothes to local homeless shelter
- Helped collect thousands of pop can tabs, to raise money to buy a wheelchair for a disabled person in need (1 million tabs buys a wheelchair)
- Shown the movie "Baraka" to encourage discussion of social and environmental awareness issues
https://www.earthcarecanada.com/EarthCARE_News_and_Events/OCDSB/Richard_Pfaff_2.asp?CID=33