FOCUS!
Change Climate Change
Create. Impact. Inspire.
FOCUS! TEACHER’S CLIMATE CHANGE COLLABORATIVE
An immersive, 5-day learning experience involving BC secondary school teachers (Grades 7-12) who learn alongside expert resource guests, collaborate, and create enhanced climate change curriculum for the classroom and programming for the entire school.
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.
PAST FOCUS PROGRAMMING
AMAZING STUDENTS
OUTSTANDING TEACHERS
Ms. Christine Avery (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)