Before schools, school councils or departments can apply for grants, you must first contact the TDSB's Business Development Office. Please email any grant applications and questions to meera.mcdonald@tdsb.on.ca.

Review the Grant Application one pager for more details.

On Friday, April 17th at 2 pm, students from across Toronto are encouraged to help Toronto stay clean and green. Team-up with students and teachers and clean your school yard or a neighbourhood park. You'll be amazed at what your team can accomplish in as little as 20 minutes! 

Register your school today! 

To mark 13 years of TDSB EcoSchools, and help Ontario EcoSchools mark their 10 year anniversary, we are inviting all registered TDSB EcoSchools to participate in the EcoAction Challenge. Join schools from across the province to take an EcoAction and share it for collective impact as well as a chance to win prizes!

The EcoAction Challenge is an opportunity for our schools to:

• Celebrate 13 years of environmental learning and action!
• Promote student leadership
• Build momentum province-wide

What is an EcoAction?

An EcoAction is a student-led initiative that connects environmental learning with tangible actions. Some examples include:

• A school EcoTeam makes class presentations, holds an assembly, or delivers workshops to raise awareness about key environmental issues.
• A student plans and leads their class on a nature hike.
• The school launches a walk-to-school campaign.

For more details and to register: Contact Jenn.Vettter@tdsb.on.ca. The first 20 TDSB EcoSchools to register will receive a print copy of our Best Practices Guide.
 

EcoSchools Section 4: Questions 4.2, 4.3, 4.4; Section 5: Question 5.7

International World Water Day falls on Sunday, March 22nd this year, and it's a day to focus attention on the importance of freshwater and sustainable water use. The weeks leading up to the day provide an opportunity to celebrate and educate students about the importance of water in everyday life. Many schools will be celebrating in the week prior to March break, from March 9th to 13th.

Ontario Ecoschools has produced a new learning resource for Grade 8 classes that provides tips and ideas on how to celebrate World Water Day or Week at your school. In this learning activity, students explore water conservation and the positive and negative impacts that human activity has on natural resources. Students then design a media campaign to raise awareness about the importance of conservation.

The UN World Water Day website showcases other great ideas for youth both at school and at home, including an art contest, running a "Walk for Water" campaign, and instructions on goal setting for a family water conservation competition.
 

Additional Resources:

Use inquiry-based learning, STEM pedagogy and field work to investigate how human actions have an impact on the sustainability of your local waterways.  "Is our Local Waterway Sustainable?" provides grade 4 students with an opportunity to use digital technologies to investigate the natural resources within their own community.
Produced by OESSTA, OTF and the Ontario Ministry of Education.

Few children can resist water's attraction.  Marvelous Explorations Through Science and Stories (MESS) Investigating Water Guide engages children in the process of scientific inquiry using the context of a favorite early childhood pastime--water play! This guide includes 16 inquiry activities for young learners to explore the properties of water and its importance to all living things. 

Is access to clean water a basic human right or something to be sold?  Oxfam Water Week introduces students to the idea that water is a shared human need and is a right recognised by the UN. 

See EcoSchools Instructional Leader, Pam Miller's recommended list of books on water and 26 more books on water from Wisconsin's Water Library for kids. 

EcoSchools Section 5: Question 5.2

On March 13th, 2015 the Bike to School Project

will host a Bike to School Leadership Camp at Evergreen Brick Works, to build excitement about cycling and share resources. Secondary students and teachers from participating TDSB schools will be presented with an opportunity to share their experiences, plan for spring activities, hear an inspirational presentation by international urban sustainability expert Gil Penalosa, take part in hands-on workshops on bike mechanics, cycling apps, dressing for cycling, and connect with the broader cycling community.

The Bike to School Project is a collaborative initiative of CultureLink Settlement Services, Cycle Toronto, the Toronto Cycling Think and Do Tank (University of Toronto) and Evergreen.

EcoSchools Section 5: Questions 5.2, 5.5, 5.6

Schools and municipalities from across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) will be celebrating Bike to School Week between May 25th and 29th, 2015. New this year, schools will have an opportunity to register their Bike to School Week event(s) and initiative(s) online (website coming soon!) and will receive a certificate of participation upon completion. 

Stay tuned for our Bike to School Week news bulletin in April that will include ideas and resources to support Bike to School Week at your school! 

Questions? Contact Kristen Evers at Kristen.evers@tdsb.on.ca

EcoSchools Section 5: Question 5.6

Evergreen Bike Works - a community DIY bicycle repair and workshop space that helps to promote sustainable transportation - is seeking volunteers to expand their Bike Works Community Builders team.

Do you...Have an interest in cycling? Want to strengthen your bike mechanics and customer service skills? Enjoy giving back to your community? If you answered 'yes' to any of these questions, consider becoming a volunteer with Bike Works! For more information visit the Evergreen website.

A documentary film festival about all things water, Water Docs presents features and shorts, discussions with special guests and filmmakers, and opportunities to take action to protect water. The festival aims to inform and educate audiences about water and water issues.

For detailed information about the films, venues, and schedules please visit the Water Docs Festival webpage.

With 12 years' experience teaching Eco Art to high school students, the Wexner Center for the Art's Shelly Casto has extensive materials and resources to share. Designed for K-12 art teachers, this online-only course will provide an in-depth introduction to the field of Eco Art as well as a basic introduction to environmentalism. Teachers will leave the course with an extensive online curriculum packet.  K-5 general classroom, 6-12 humanities, and 6-12 science teachers will also find the course of interest.  Graduate credit available with tuition fee.  See details here