When Rainbow District School Board declared a climate change emergency, a commitment was made to have all of its schools EcoSchools Canada Certified by 2022.
As the school year draws to a close, EcoSchools Canada has officially confirmed that the mission has been accomplished. Rainbow District School Board is one of only two school boards in Canada to have achieved this distinction in the 2021-2022 school year.
“Achieving 100 per cent EcoSchools certification is a very significant achievement for a school board,” said EcoSchools Canada Program Manager Clara Luke, in a press release.
“Being a certified EcoSchool means that a school is committed to environmental sustainability and climate action. For an entire school board to have this commitment from all of its schools signals that there has been a concerted effort to take environmental action and that the support for this important work spans the school community, and beyond - including students, teachers, school administrators, custodial staff, support staff, school board administrators and trustee leadership.
By the numbers, Rainbow Schools earned 11 Bronze certifications, 7 Silver, 13 Gold, 11 Platinum and 1 Remote/Virtual School certification in the 2021-2022 school year. According to EcoSchools Canada, any level of certification is an achievement to be proud of. It indicates that a school is taking action on climate change while empowering students to make climate-conscious decisions in their daily lives, and to share these learnings with their families and communities.
The significance of the certifications, however, is best reflected in the overall impact these environmental efforts have on the planet by supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals - 815 kilograms of waste diverted from landfill and 41 tons of CO2 emissions reduced from school ground greening activities.
In addition, 13 schools participated in actions related to water conservation, 281 classrooms had their energy efficiency optimized and 1828 waste-free lunches were packed and taken to school. Rainbow Schools promoted responsible consumption and production, climate action, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, and sustainable cities and communities.
Environmental Education and Sustainability is a priority embedded in Rainbow District School Board’s Strategic Directions for 2022 to 2027.
