Change Climate Change
Create. Impact. Inspire.
THE CLIMATE COLLABORATIVE FOR EDUCATORS
The Climate Collaborative for Educators is a jointly created program designed by Sue Roppel (Kimberley Foundation), Tom Harding (West Point Grey Academy), and Dr. Travis Fuchs (Crofton House)
Returning for its 4th year, we have evolved our unique immersive climate change professional development program – The Climate Collaborative for Educators – for 2024 through a continuing partnership with the Independent Schools Association of British Columbia (ISABC). Targeted to ISABC teachers (Grades 7-12), staff, counsellors and administrators, the multi-event series will combine multidisciplinary climate change learning with hope-focused, eco-anxiety reducing strategies for classrooms and schools. Participants will work together to create enhanced climate change products (curricular modules and units, resource and toolkits) for the classroom and new approaches and strategies for the school.
OUTCOMES FROM THE
2022 FOCUS CLIMATE CHANGE COLLABORATIVE
Curriculum Creation
Classroom Interactives
Help us develop the interactives library. If you try any of them out, we’d love your feedback. If you adapt them, we’d love to learn how. If you have your own interactives that you’d love us to consider adding to the site, please share them with us. To do any of this, email Sue Roppel at [email protected].
COOL INNOVATIONS
Grow your own Canoe ???
A college student in the United States, Katy Ayers, Central Community College in Columbus, has grown her own canoe from mushrooms. While mushrooms have been explored to break down harmful pollutants, they are also being experimented with for packaging, and now more sturdy products such as household furniture, and yes … even canoes! Learn more! […]
Fully Renewable Sneakers For cheap
Aldo shoes have developed a shoe comprised of recycled water bottles and algae-based foam for only 40$ a pair. Learn More
Montreal Innovators Change the Game in Concrete Production
Concrete is one of the most abundant products on earth after water. The problem is, it uses cement which accounts for about 10% of the global CO2 emissions. Cabricrete, a Montreal-based company, aims to change that. The key to their transformation, carbonation activation. Learn more! Image Source: Cabricrete website.
Green Beaches Save the Planet – That Rocks (literally)!
Project Vesta mimics the Earth’s natural carbon cycle, but accelerates the steps using one of nature’s fastest weathering rock: Olivine. The result, green (literally) beaches that absorb CO2 at an unprecedented rate. Learn More. Source Image: Project Vesta website.
Inuit Knowledge Creates Smarter Ice
An innovative technology brings together Inuit knowledge, sensors and smart technology to create the world’s first climate change adaptation tool that integrates traditional knowledge of sea ice with advanced data acquisition and remote monitoring technology. Learn how this amazing technology is improving safe ice travel and increasing our understanding of climate change impacts in the […]
SolCold Active solar cooling
An Israeli company has developed a paint that uses sunlight to actively cool infrastructure. The brighter the sun, the better the air conditioning. Learn More Image source: SolCold
The Electric Muscle Car
General Motors EV Hummer made its debut in the Superbowl ads. Now we can have electric gas guzzlers.Learn more! Image Source: GMC
An Innovative Solution for a Weird Problem
Who would have thought waste heat from restaurants was a big deal? Turns out it is and Enjay plans to stop it. By filtering exhaust air and using it to heat the interior of the building they claim they can preserve hundreds of thousands of kWh per year per building. Learn More. [Image Source: Enjay]
Electric Cars + Car 2 Go?
Ekorent is combining two great climate fighting techniques by providing on-demand electric cars to the public. Unfortunately, their operations are currently only in Finland. Learn More. [Image Source: Ekorent]
Restoring Deserts to Fight Climate Change
A new procedure has been developed which artificially increases water retention in desert areas to fight desertification and produce growable land. Learn More or watch their promotional video here. [Image source: Desert Control]
DID YOU KNOW?
CO2 Emissions Globally
(Measured in Tonnes)
This Year
Water Consumed Globally
(Measured in Millions of Litres)
This Year
Energy Used Globally
(Measured in MWh)
This Year
Renewables Non-Renewables
Data provided by Worldometers. Visit their website to learn about these and other indicators.
OCTOBER 20th, 2023 PRO-D DAY
“Inspiring Climate Action in BC Secondary Schools”
When: Friday, 20th October 2023, 9:30am-3:00pm
Where: Brentwood College, Vancouver Island
Who: All are welcome.
Cost: $40 (includes lunch and workshops)
Transport from the Mainland: Complimentary bus service between Swartz Bay, Departure Bay and Brentwood College have been arranged (limited space, specific ferry meet-ups, see details on full agenda).
What: Session workshops will model innovative practice by BC educators and innovators as they tackle the complex issue of climate change. Be inspired by practical examples of teachers building students’ climate literacy and climate action. Participants will actively participate during workshops and we hope leave with new inspiration and new resources for their own climate change education journey.
Highlights of the Day:
- Keynote speaker: ‘Inspired, Invested, Ingenious: Youth and Climate
Resilience’, Dr. Robin Cox, Professor, Director of Resilience By Design
Lab, Royal Roads University - BC innovators tackling climate change (Origen Air, Cascadia Seaweed,
Commutify, City of Victoria, Wilson School of Design – Kwantlen
Polytechnic University) - Project presentations (from curriculum units to system-wide tools) created during the 2022 and 2023 Climate Collaborative for Educators
- Opportunity to learn about the Climate Collaborative for Educators (2024) sponsored by the ISABC.
PAST PROGRAMMING
AMAZING STUDENTS
OUTSTANDING TEACHERS
Ms. Christine Avey (Westmount Charter School) [Winner]
Ms. Catherine Corkery (St. Anne Catholic Elementary School) [Finalist]
Mr. Duncan Sinclair (East Elgin Secondary School) [Finalist]
Ms. Ali McTavish (Mulgrave School) [Noteworthy Achievement]
Dr. Sacha Noukhovitch (Earl Haig Secondary School [Noteworthy Achievement]
Dr. Terri Willard (Seven Oaks Met School) [Noteworthy Achievement]
LEADING SCHOOLS
The FOCUS! Schools Take Action to Change Climate Change award recognizes the central role that schools play in modelling and inspiring positive environmental action. Awards of $10,000 were granted to two schools that demonstrated excellence in environmental and climate change leadership in at least one or more of the following areas:
- significant reduction of the school’s carbon footprint, resource use, and/or waste output;
- development of innovative programs or initiatives that encourage climate change reduction activities by members of the school and/or local community;
- creation of innovative tools, approaches or programs that lead to significant environmental and leadership skills development by students that will uniquely equip them to become future climate change leaders;
- installation or performance of unique creative works that raise awareness, inspire action and which demonstrate the role creative works have in creating a sustainability-focused culture;
- implementation of programs, initiatives or a school culture that instills a high level of environmental sustainability and climate change consciousness among its student, educator, staff and broader community; and,
- implementation of an ongoing program of unique professional advancement activities in environmental education and climate change topics for its teaching staff with a demonstrated record of excellence in supporting innovation, risk taking, and experimentation by teachers seeking to enhance climate change awareness through their teaching and curricula.
St. George’s School of Montreal [Co-Winner]
(Principal: Ms. Nathalie Bossé)
Career and Technology Centre [Co-Winner]
(Program Lead: Mr. Adam Robb)