Ontario EcoSchools offers many resources to schools at different stages of developing their ecological literacy and environmental practices. All resources are free and focus on student engagement.
To Certify or Not to Certify?
If your school already has an active environmental club, and promotes a number of environmentally-friendly actions, your school is in a good position to apply for certification. Start by reading about certification and how to apply, then register at the beginning of the school year at our online certification application.
Start Small and Do It Well
If your school is just beginning on its environmental journey, you may want to participate in the program without going through the certification process. Many schools do not set certification as their goal in the first year of using the program. Instead they focus on a few sections of the program to start small and do it well.
Start Small and Do It Well
That being said, bronze is accessible to schools who already have a few environmental initiatives in place. The certification process is designed to be achievable by beginners while allowing experienced schools to take the program to its limits. Read about certification to learn more about the process.
Guiding You through the Program
Whether you decide to go for certification or not, you can download EcoSchools guides and start the process. A good place to start is the Introduction to EcoSchools and the 5 Step Process, Energy Conservation and Waste Minimization. You may also want to take a quick look at the School Ground Greening guide which is a longer document but provides an excellent overview for future planning.
The Guide to Certification is an essential resource providing an overview of all the elements of EcoSchools, breaking up each pillar into the actions that make a difference in creating an eco-culture within your school. It also contains important information for the certification process such as certification criteria and tips for success. Even if you are not going to certify, this document is a great resource for organizing environmental initiatives within your school.
Our Curriculum Resources are great materials which include suggestions for creative ways to integrate ecological concepts throughout your curriculum.
Don't forget to sign-up for the Ontario EcoSchools newsletter. Our newsletter gives you the latest information on certification, as well as inspiration and information on what's happening in EcoSchools across Ontario. Just enter your email in the text box on the top right corner of our home page.
Getting Support – contact your EcoSchools board representative
The EcoSchools Program is most effective with senior level support from school boards. You may have an EcoSchools representative at your school board. Contact your board’s EcoSchools representative for support and information on how your board and local partnerships support EcoSchools. EcoSchools is most effective when there is senior level support from your school board but it's not essential. If you would like more information about board representatives, contact us at info (at) ontarioecoschools.org.
If you are interested in introducing EcoSchools to your board, please click here.
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