FOCUS!
Change Climate Change
Create. Impact. Inspire.
FOCUS! TEACHER’S CLIMATE CHANGE COLLABORATIVE
JUNE 25-29, 2022
at SFU Harbour Centre in Vancouver, BC
An immersive, learning experience involving BC secondary school teachers (Grades 7-12) who will learn, collaborate, and create enhanced climate change tools for the classroom.
Featuring amazing learning guides and resource guests who will work to support and empower participating teachers
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?
Water Consumed Globally
(Measured in Millions of Litres)
This Year
Energy Used Globally
(Measured in MWh)
This Year
Renewables Non-Renewables
CO2 Emissions Globally
(Measured in Tonnes)
This Year
Data provided by Worldometers. Visit their website to learn about these and other indicators.
PAST FOCUS PROGRAMMING
AMAZING STUDENTS
“Ripple Effect”
Created by: Mohamud Ismail & Mohamud Farah
(Calgary Islamic School)
“Shreds“
Created by: Nicholas Milczarczyk
(Resurrection Catholic Secondary School)
“The Emergency Brake“
Created by: Macy How & Ariyah Reuven
(Powell River Digital Film School)
The FOCUS! Student Climate Change Video competition was open to students in grades 7-12 in Canada who were invited to submit a video on any climate change subject. Videos of up to 5 minutes in length made by individuals or small teams (up to 5 members) in any video genre, including music videos, were eligible to be submitted. The videos were assessed in terms of overall creativity, technical realization, quality and delivery of message, and overall impact and persuasiveness. Over the three years of this competition, more than 300 films involving more than 700 students have been submitted.
In the 2019/2020 competition, prizes were awarded by genre, including Animation, Live Action, and Documentary/PSA.
The award winner/winning team of each category received a prize of $2,500 with an additional $2,000 being awarded to their school.
OUTSTANDING TEACHERS
WINNER
FOCUS! Teachers Excellence Award for Environmental Education and Communication
Ms. Christine Avey
(Westmount Charter School)
FINALIST
FOCUS! Teachers Excellence Award for Environmental Education and Communication
Ms. Catherine Corkery
(St. Anne Catholic Elementary School)
FINALIST
FOCUS! Teachers Excellence Award for Environmental Education and Communication
Mr. Duncan Sinclair
(East Elgin Secondary School)
NOTEWORTHY ACHIEVEMENT
FOCUS! Teachers Excellence Award for Environmental Education and Communication
Ms. Ali McTavish
(Mulgrave School)
NOTEWORTHY ACHIEVEMENT
FOCUS! Teachers Excellence Award for Environmental Education and Communication
Dr. Sacha Noukhovitch
(Earl Haig Secondary School)
NOTEWORTHY ACHIEVEMENT
FOCUS! Teachers Excellence Award for Environmental Education and Communication
Dr. Terri Willard
(Seven Oaks Met School)
The FOCUS! Teachers Excellence in Environmental Education and Communication Leadership award recognizes teachers who have demonstrated excellence, innovation and leadership in any of the following areas:
- reforming curriculum to encourage environment, climate justice and/or sustainable living learning;
- implementing climate change action projects that help shape students’ understanding about climate change and their potential roles in mitigating its effects; and/or,
- creating, sharing and demonstrating up-take of their innovative approaches to environmental, climate justice and.or sustainable teaching within and/or beyond their profession.
The winner of the FOCUS! Teachers Excellence in Environmental Education and Communication award received $5,000 with an additional $2,000 awarded to their school. Two additional “Finalist” prizes were awarded and provided $2,000 to the teacher and $1,000 to their school.
LEADING SCHOOLS
WINNER
FOCUS! Schools Take Action to Change Climate Change
St. George’s School of Montreal
(Principal: Ms. Nathalie Bossé)
WINNER
FOCUS! Schools Take Action to Change Climate Change
Career and Technology Centre
(Program Lead: Mr. Adam Robb)
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.