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2002-2003 Winners - 2001-2002 Winners
2006-2007 Winners
Whether the projects were big or small, each school submission to The Great EcoKids Challenge showed tremendous commitment and dedication towards improving the health of our planet.
1st Prize: a Sony VAIO FJ Series Notebook goes to Jeanne-Mance School in Sainte-Angèle-de-Monnoir, Québec for the following environmental initiatives:
School and Community-wide waste reduction campaign:
- Reusable dishes purchased for school use to replace plastic and Stryofoam
Jeanne-Mance EcoKids reduce waste in their school.
- Homemade snack items were sold in the school to replace packaged snacks - litterless snacks and lunches are always encouraged
- Students came up with eco-packaging ideas for various companies
- Composting and vermi-composting programs - also open for use by families with no composter at home (now recognized as a municipal composting location)
- Hosted a community composting seminar at the school
- School-wide recycling program
- Met with principal and mayor to discuss ways to reduce waste in the school
- Research on biodegradable garbage bags and the possibility of their use in the school
- Re-use book exchange
Raising Environmental Awareness
- Green News section in the monthly school newsletter to inform parents of Green initiatives
- Environmentally friendly Christmas gifts for parents
- School Green News bulletin board - all students contribute
- Eco-radio program on the school loud speaker
Other Environmental Initiatives:
- Constructed a micro-pulpery to make their own recycled paper
- Campaign to sell CFL light bulbs
- Recycled art projects
- Earth Day school yard clean up
- Used ink cartridge and battery collection program
- School yard greening projects
2nd Prize: a Sony Mini-DV Handycam Camcorder goes to Cirque de Soleil-Alegria School in Montréal, Québec (travelling circus school) for the following environmental initiatives:
Energy Saving Campaign:
- Student presentations to the circus tour staff on recycling and reusing to save energy
Alegria School's EcoKids
- Personal mugs and water bottles given out to reduce the use of disposable cups
- EcoKids "Energy Zone" displaying tips on how to save energy from "How Energy Efficient Are You?" on EcoKids website
- Students completed an assesment of their personal carbon footprints
- Surveys emailed to all staff to determine energy habits; Once results were tallied, students researched and created tips for reducing energy use targeting specific habits; Presented their findings to the participants
- "Did You Know" facts in English, French and Russian were placed in the cafeteria
- "Lights Out" campaign to remind staff to turn of computers overnight; As a result of the campaign more staff remembered to turn off their computers
- The Computer Technician programmed all computers to automatically shut down at the end of the day and the school principal has agreed to do this regularly on the show site
Earth Day events:
- Green and blue shirts worn by students and Earth Day stickers given out to staff to promote environmental awareness
- Making recycled paper using the EcoKids website recipe
3rd Prize: a Sony Cyber-shot Digital Still Camera goes to Morning Star Middle School - Knights of the Round Planet in Mississauga, Ontario for the following environmental initiatives:
Recycling Campaign:
- Blue and grey boxes for every classroom and yearly promotion of "Recycling Week" with presentations and announcements
T-shirt club logo designed for environmental awareness t-shirts
- Grade level demonstrations on how to recycle properly at home and school
- Large recycling bins purchased for the cafeteria from Waste Warriors using money raised from various fundraisers
- "Recycling Fridays" to promote school-wide recycling
Organizing four student led action committees:
- Recycling Committee - oversee all recycling initiatives in the school
- Environmental T-shirt Committee - design t-shirts to raise environmental awareness
- Earth Day Committee - April Earth Month campaign with Earth Day school assembly and display of action tips on how to save the planet
- Tree Planting Committe - school and community greening projects
Honourable Mention: Sargent Park School in Winnipeg, Manitoba for the following environmental initiatives:
- School yard greening projects
- School-wide recycling program with daily announcements and news articles
- Recycyled "Garbage Art" for Earth Day
- School and community clean-ups with Take Pride Winnipeg
- Students presented environmental workshops to all grades
Click here to see a list of this year's Great EcoKids Challenge Participants!
A big thanks goes to The Great EcoKids Challenge sponsor, Sony of Canada Ltd, for the great prizes, and to all EcoKids out there who contribute to the health of the Earth in their own way.