The Rainbow District School Board has achieved the distinction of being one of five school boards across Canada to achieve a 100 per cent certification by the EcoSchools Canada organization..
EcoSchools Canada offers a certification program for elementary through secondary schools, nurturing environmental learning and climate action.
The EcoSchools certification process is free to publicly funded schools and is designed to incentivize, track and reward environmental actions that reduce energy and waste, raise awareness and incorporate environmental learning into curriculum.
With the 2023-24 school year coming to an end, EcoSchools Canada officially confirmed that all Rainbow Schools have been certified. Rainbow District School Board is one of only five school boards in Canada to have achieved this distinction in the 2023-2024 school year, said a news release from the board.
"On behalf of EcoSchools Canada, I would like to congratulate the students, school staff and community members who contributed to Rainbow District School Board's outstanding certification results this year,” said Ryan Dyment, Co-Executive Director of EcoSchools Canada.
“By certifying 100 per cent of their schools, Rainbow District School Board has established a culture of conservation and respect for the environment across their school network and can take pride in being a sustainability leader in both Canada and worldwide," he added.
In 2023-2024, Rainbow schools earned 24 Platinum, 11 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze and 1 Virtual school certifications. The Rainbow board more than doubled the number of schools that reached the highest level of certification – Platinum – over the past two years, said the release.
“This is a tremendous accomplishment,” said RDSB Chair David Farrow, who commended all schools on behalf of Trustees. “When this Board made a commitment to address climate change, schools embraced the challenge, and students and staff worked with purpose and with passion to make a difference.”
Farrow said this was the second year for Rainbow board schools to have achieved the 100 per cent certification.
"We have instilled in students and the school communities that we serve eco-friendly practices that will last a lifetime,” said Farrow.
Director of Education Bruce Bourget was pleased as well.
“With our ongoing focus on sustainability, our schools have reduced their carbon footprint,” said Bourget who praised the board’s Environmental Education Committee for its leadership and all schools for their stewardship.
“Our schools have demonstrated that the smallest of changes can have profound impacts,” said Director Bourget. “Students are adopting the values and behaviours required to achieve sustainability, transferring what they are learning in the classroom into their homes and into their communities. This generation is leading the way, paving the path forward for those who will follow in their footsteps.”
The top 10 environmental actions that occurred in Rainbow schools were: good-on-one-side paper recycling, Earth Day, community clean-up, waste-free lunch, switch off lights and devices, Take Me Outside Day, National Sweater Day, The Great Gulp, indoor gardening and greenhouses, and create your own action, said the release.
Rainbow District School Board is the largest public school board in Northern Ontario serving Sudbury, Espanola and Manitoulin Island.
