Emissions reductions and engaged learning through community partnerships

By DaviD BarnuM, Johan StroMan anD roB ColliSon

John Luccier’s Grade 7 class hosted a school-wide Freezing Friday to save on energy and emissions.

In June, John, a Grade 7 teacher at Roberts Creek Elementary, and Johan Stroman, community partner in learning, presented students with certificates to celebrate their completion of a science, math and applied design program on energy conservation. John is one of a growing number of teachers on the Sunshine Coast embracing Energy Matters – a program driven by the School District #46 facilities department funding to engage students in curriculum, energy, and inquiry.

His Grade 7 class hosted a school-wide Freezing Friday event in early March. What happened? They turned down the school temperature three degrees for the day, highlighting the costs and impacts of energy use. The result was an astounding 80 per cent drop in natural gas use for the day. 220 elementary students came dressed in sweaters for a cooler day, stimulating interesting discussion and raising awareness of energy conservation and climate change. As one of the students, Megan said, “Three degrees cooler (i.e. 18 Celsius) wasn’t really freezing at all”.

Now John’s students want to see a bigger change! Rob Collison (SD #46 facilities and transportation manager), who envisioned this unique Facilities+School+Community partnership, is now working directly with students. Instead of a one-day event, students are asking Collison for a weekly energy savings day. The students’ proposal will see building heating turned down two degrees each Friday all year,

Student action projects support learning in new Grade 4 to 9 curriculum competencies.

Sample classroom investigations for a participating Grade 7 classroom.

providing energy conservation leadership and raising awareness of energy costs and climate change.

Another district teacher Kaia Nielsen, was supported to meet with Jay Walls of the high school teachers to explore solar power, panels, and see how well they perform in B.C.’s south coast climate compared with the U.S. southwest. Students see their inquiry aligned with the school district intention to embark on three major school solar PV installations.

It is all part of the district-wide strategic goal and cultural shift towards energy conservation. Through this unique model, facilities may realize an annual compounding target of at least five per cent energy savings annually. Projected over the year, this one-day-per-week action can save the school over three tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and nearly $1,000 in energy costs.

Collison plans to work with the school and track the savings over the year to provide a report to the board and to inform district-wide energy conservation ideas for the next few years. He hopes to see more schools and classrooms join the program and reduce energy use through school or home energy conservation projects.

Collison provides teachers and students access to their school energy data – providing a direct connection between student idea generation, school leadership actions, and measurable energy savings data. By sharing and reporting real data, the projects have higher relevance, creating high student interest and parental awareness.

David Barnum, curriculum coordinator, notes that this collaborative community partners learning approach supports School District 46’s Strategic Plan, enabling Heartwood Solutions’ sustainability consultant Johan Stroman to support teachers and classrooms. Paul Bishop, the district’s director of instruction, echoes Barnum and adds, “We see an immense value in providing students a means to connect directly in an authentic and engaging manner with our facilities staff and our community’s many skilled professionals.”

Through a series of half-day workshops,

teachers reimagine how they might engage students on energy conservation topics. Energy Matters offers a range of approaches and best practices options and encourages teachers and students to innovate; to create their own energy challenge. Teachers are provided release • Serving Western Canada since 1977 • The right price for the right job1977 2017 40th ANNIVERSARY Version 1.a • Serving Western Canada since 1977 • The right price for the right jobwww.castertown.com • Serving Western Canada since 1977 • The right price for the right job • Large local inventory www.castertown.com 1977 2017 40th ANNIVERSARY Version 1.bwww.castertown.com time to learn, plan their units, and share their findings. Energy and climate change topics are interwoven in curriculum content across multiple intermediate and junior high • Large local inventory EDMONTON Toll Free: 1-800-323-9886 • Large local inventory EDMONTON Toll Free: 1-800-323-9886 EDMONTON Toll Free: 1-800-323-9886 CALGARY Toll Free: 1-800-665-1348 VANCOUVER CALGARY Toll Free: 1-800-665-1348 Toll Free: 1-800-689-1441 school grades. Energy Matters provides links to social media, leading thinkers, CALGARY climate change solution innovators, and Toll Free: 1-800-665-1348 VANCOUVER Edmonton • Calgary • Vancouver

Toll Free: stories of youth leaders taking action. VANCOUVER1-800-689-1441

The program helps students and teachers step out of the box - inviting studentToll Free: 1-800-689-1441Edmonton • Calgary • Vancouver 30 Ops Talk • Fall 2017 Edmonton • Calgary • Vancouver

1. Provide teacher and student support to implement placebased, energy projects: • Release time and professional development • Lead customized, energy conservation projects in schools • Generate real-time facilities data to show energy savings

2. Create innovation around content and approach to B.C. curriculum: • Link conservation with core learning principles and subject outcomes centered inquiry and action. Experiential learning included use of Kill-a-Watt metres, solar model cars, and some local draw prizes to “incentivize” school initiatives. Students used their learning to turn off 500 lights in a week; locate measure and unplug an old empty refrigerator, and conduct a week-long shortened home showers. Teachers were surprised at student engagement and interest in the topics. One teacher noted that students clearly were concerned and empowered to take action at home. Teachers first thought that providing meaningful climate change action would be a challenge for themselves and students. However, with up-front support, encouragement and a hopeful message, students soon discovered that small actions really added up and that their initiatives and communications inspired big savings at school and at home. The Energy Smarts initiative/partnership is set to attract more teachers and evolve with student interests. Collison couldn’t be happier. “It’s neat to see students, teachers, and administration getting into a program, that benefits us all in so many ways,” says Collison. “I’m pretty sure we’re into double-digit savings now.” To learn more about the Energy Matters program in SD #46, please visit youtu.be/Qe6-3Tarlek or contact Johan Stroman at johan@heartwoodsolutions.ca. n • Activities connect sustainability to critical/creative thinking, communication, and personal/social responsibility competencies • Create real student leadership projects

3. Embracing community partners in learning: • Bring local expertise on energy and climate change to the classrooms • Energy Matters supports students’ engagement in placebased learning

• Facility staff realizes energy behavioural change goals