Victoria, BC– The Capital Regional District (CRD) and its municipal partners are celebrating the region’s young climate leaders for their outstanding participation in this year’s Cool It! Climate Leadership Training Program.
Since the beginning of the school year in September, 2,742 students from 120 classrooms across the region participated in the BC Sustainable Energy Association’s (BCSEA) program that empowers youth to take action on climate change. The workshops, available to classes in grades 4-12, help build students’ knowledge of climate change, including the key causes, impacts, and solutions. The workshops are then followed by a four-week take-home challenge that encourages the students to work with their friends and family to reduce their carbon footprint at home and in their communities.
“When young people grasp what’s driving climate change and what we can do about it, they become some of the most engaged and effective voices for action,” said CRD’s Senior Manager of Environmental Innovation, Dr. Rory Tooke. “Cool It! gives students what they need to step up and lead, and it’s already making a real difference in their schools, homes, and communities.”
Throughout the four-week challenge, students participated in meaningful and measurable ways, including:
- joining local climate action clubs;
- attending tree-planting events as a class;
- planting food and pollinator gardens;
- participating in community beach cleanups;
- starting school carpooling groups; and
- mapping ways to make their communities more sustainable.
During the challenge, students committed to 17,139 actions that reduce energy and carbon emissions at home, which will result in a projected savings of 499 tonnes of CO2e annually. Classes in the region that reduced their GHG emissions most significantly over the four-week period were awarded prizes. The winning classes for this year are: Margaret Jenkins Elementary (Victoria), Keating Elementary (Central Saanich), and Cedar Hill Middle School (Saanich). Class celebrations were held for winning classes.
“Programs like Cool It! are key to building communities that understand climate change and are ready to take action,” added Tooke. “The enthusiasm and leadership shown by teachers and students this year has been incredibly encouraging—we look forward to seeing that growing momentum across the region.”
This year, the CRD sponsored 35 classrooms to participate in the regional program, with additional workshops sponsored by the District of Saanich, City of Victoria, District of Oak Bay, District of Sooke, District of Central Saanich, and the Town of View Royal.
Supporting and delivering climate education is a key component of the CRD’s Climate Action Strategy. Since its launch in 2017, more than 500 classes in the region have participated in the program, with support from the CRD and member municipalities. In that time, participating students have reported taking more than 95,000 actions to reduce their climate impact and help prepare their communities.
To learn more, visit https://bcsea.org/cool-it-climate-leadership-training/
The CRD delivers regional, sub-regional and local services to 13 municipalities and three electoral areas on southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Governed by a 24-member Board of Directors, the CRD works collaboratively with First Nations and government partners to enable sustainable growth, foster community well-being, and develop cost-effective infrastructure while continuing to provide core services to residents throughout the region. Visit us online at www.crd.ca.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Tracy Urquhart, Supervisor, Communications and Education Development
CRD Corporate Communications
Tel: 250.360.3287
Cell: 250.516.4089
