On Course Newsletter
Winter 2003 Vol 7
Download
a PDF version of this newsletter 4.8mb
In This Issue:
Introducing EarthCARE™
By Rose-Marie Batley, Executive Director, EarthCARE
The Concept: Turning Wasted Energy into Program Value
To Education Superintendents, EarthCARE is a new strategy and program that turns energy waste into program value. To Facility Managers, EarthCARE is the behavioural component of their energy management program.
The recent blackout across Ontario has made us acutely aware that we cannot be cavalier about energy use. It is also important to remember that EarthCARE is a program born out of a partnership between program and facilities to create program value and reduce overall operating costs.
For example, your board may be sending thousands of dollars to the utility company to pay for lights and computers that should and could be turned off. The learning activities in EarthCARE are aimed at the practical goal of energy conservation. The difference is that EarthCARE makes achieving the goal fun as opposed to a burden or added work.
As well, EarthCARE pays for itself by motivating school communities to turn off those lights and computers and conserve resources in other ways - not because it saves money for the board, but because it is part of being a responsible citizen. It's simply the right thing to do!
The Program: An Environmental Education Partnership
EarthCARE is an activity-based, curriculum-aligned program designed to develop students and staff as environmental stewards. Our unique student engagement process involves youth as action-oriented leaders, who not only develop their own awareness, but also act as catalysts to increase awareness in their schools, communities, and regions and encourage energy savings and conservation.
School boards will see new partnerships develop between facility staff and classroom staff, students and community leaders, senior students and junior students, teachers and superintendents. EarthCARE aims to bring together all members of the school community in an effort to transform our awareness of environmental concerns into action.
"EarthCARE is about many things. It is about teamwork, about cooperation and relationships," Andrea deBruijn, EC Catalyst, John McCrae SS explains. "It is about getting involved, or saying 'yes' and finding a way. More than anything, however, EarthCARE is about making small changes in our own homes, our own schools, our own communities, and spreading our love and respect for the environment throughout our global community."
EarthCARE Objectives:
EarthCARE provides a vehicle to address the behavioural component of a board's energy management system. It has five objectives:
- Creation of a better planet, for now and forever.
-
Reduction of energy costs by motivating people to turn off lights and computers. This frees money for program and facilities.
-
Additional program value in the form of turnkey curriculum resources for teachers and program projects that develop student leaders, teach students how to be stewards of the environment and how to partner with each other to make things happen that are fun and good for the environment.
-
Creation of a culture of partnership at every level - people helping each other to be more effective and creating new value that would otherwise not be possible.
-
Provision of a vehicle for the board to be seen as a leader and education innovator in the community.
A Better Planet for Us, and Future Generations through
EarthCARE
By Michael Worsfold, Better Planet Productions Inc.
Our objective in creating EarthCARE, in collaboration with Ameresco Canada Inc. and their board clients, is to convert the challenge of rising energy costs into an opportunity for new program value.
The mandates for program design were to create a high quality program that students enjoy, adds value to the curriculum, is not an "extra" for teachers, and doesn't create additional burdens for administrators. All of these criteria have been met.
Our goal is to create a better planet for us and future generations. This will only happen if we all truly care enough about our earth to act. Educational institutions have two important roles to play as part of a community. One is to educate the citizens of tomorrow about conservation. The other is to be leaders in sustainability management. Conservation of energy and water and reduction of waste need to be life skills.
The good news is that these problems are repairable and preventable. All that is needed is action. EarthCARE provides a long-term structure that can sustain motivation and action to create a better planet. We all have a role and can make a difference without adding to our burden.
Partnering for Successful Outcomes in School Boards
By Mario Iusi, President, Ameresco Canada Inc.
As part of our company philosophy, Ameresco Canada Inc. believes in partnering to find the best possible solutions for school boards to renew their facilities and programming, while creating environmental stewards in our communities.
That's why EarthCARE is a natural extension of our Better Schools Partnership (BSP) Energy Management Model. While BSP addresses facility needs, retrofitting buildings and systems to make them more energy efficient, EarthCARE addresses occupant behaviour and program renewal. EarthCARE is also self-funded directly through the resultant energy savings.
Through our extensive work in classrooms, we have learned that when addressing both the buildings themselves and the behaviour of their occupants, we can extend energy savings by 5-10%. This allows the boards to invest in more important things like textbooks and curriculum.
Creating Catalysts of Change
Without the kids there would be no EarthCARE, and maybe without them, there wouldn't be a need for such a program. However, they are, after all, the future and will be the ones responsible for correcting the mistakes we've made over the past century.
Thus a critical element for sustaining EarthCARE is the Youth Engagement strategy, whereby secondary students are trained to become EarthCARE Catalysts (ECCs). The ECCs drive the program in their own schools and help elementary schools to launch EarthCARE and assist them throughout the year.
Richard Ford, EarthCARE Trainer and creator of the Youth Engagement strategy has spent much of his life working with kids and youth. In 1997, Richard co-launched KidsNRG and later co-founded Impactanation, two organizations known for embracing the natural drive and curiosity that kids possess.
"Growing up, I was fortunate to have teachers who inspired me and made me believe that anything was possible," recalls Ford. "All I'm doing now is helping to create a similar environment and passing on that torch that was handed to me."
One of those teachers today is Jason Smith of Colonel By Secondary School. "These EC catalysts have a passion for the environment and are enthusiastic about environmental action," says Smith.
"The ECCs get the elementary school kids totally excited about what they're totally excited about. It is a complete rush to see simple classroom activities turned into real-world action," adds Richard. "These kids never stop asking questions in school, and once they go home they are telling their parents what they should be doing."
"EarthCARE is a bottom-up program with incredible support from the top," adds Ford. "That's why it's going to succeed." And if Richard's past success is any indication, it most certainly will.
Training the Front Lines for Energy Savings
Another key to the success of EarthCARE is the Custodial Engagement strategy. On the front lines on a daily basis, the custodians are responsible for overall building maintenance and set the tone for the care of our buildings.
Jim Bilodeau, EarthCARE Technical Coordinator, is the person behind the development of the building operators training program (BOTP). The manual for the training (BOTM) covers all of the typical service and maintenance required for everything from exhaust fans and air compressors to hot water boilers and main circulating pumps.
"I like to think of it as a usable preventive maintenance manual," says Bilodeau. "The response so far has been extremely positive - we've seen a whole attitude change - from our staff in all 153 sites across the board."
"Obviously, the savings to the schools are important, but EarthCARE isn't just about dollars and cents - it's about saving our planet," says Jim. "It's a simple and honourable thing to do, and I think it (EarthCARE) should be mandated by all of the boards."
"In only its first phase of a three-year commitment, our partnership with Ameresco Canada Inc. has already resulted in enough energy savings to provide 2,600 homes with electricity each year, heat 620 homes, and enough water savings for 570 homes," says Jim. "Congratulations to all our schools and staff who have contributed to the success of this program."
Of Course, There's Always Room for Improvement
With any new program there are checks and balances to help ensure its continued growth, and ultimately, success. It is imperative that timely information be available to make this happen.
Quality Assurance enables us to find out what is working well, what we have to do to improve and whether we are making a difference. We will obtain this information in a variety of ways, including tracking sheets, focus groups, evaluation forms and audit forms.
EarthCARE is fortunate to have Marjorie Clegg coordinating all of its quality assurance activities, as she has experience in designing and implementing such a comprehensive evaluation.
What makes EarthCARE unique is that all of the evaluation instruments were created before the program even started. "What students, staff, and parents tell us does make a difference," says Clegg. "We are listening and learning every step of the way."
Marjorie says that being involved in this particular project is "a special treat" for her. "I am working on an incredibly important issue for our world and it's wonderful to see the enthusiasm of those in the schools making this program a living reality."
