Canadian Youth Address Environmental Issues Close to Home

June 11, 2010 - The environment took centre stage for many Canadian high school students over the month of May as they worked collaboratively with educators to document an environmental issue close to home and propose solutions for a greener community.

Through ECO Canada’s first annual video contest, four Canadian schools have been awarded $2,000 each for their video submissions. The schools include:

• École Secondaire Lacombe Composite High School, Lacombe, Alberta
• Holy Cross High School, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
• Lester B. Pearson High School, Gloucester, Ontario
• Holy Trinity High School, Torbay, Newfoundland

The funds received will go towards implementing environmentally friendly projects within each school.

“This contest is a great way to get students thinking about the environment, exploring environmental issues, and bringing about positive change through public education,” said April Schaly, Manager of Career Awareness at ECO Canada.

Participants in the contest proposed practical and creative solutions to reduce consumer waste, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, lower energy consumption, and lessen the impact of rapid population growth. “It was rewarding to watch the students bring this project to life,” said Charles Deighton, a teacher at Lester B. Pearson Catholic High School. “The students learned a lot about environmental issues and how they can make a difference.”

All videos submitted to the contest, including the four winning submissions, can be viewed online at www.youtube.com/ecocanada.

ECO Canada will be accepting applications for next year’s contest beginning in September 2010.