ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING & SUSTAINABILITY

Background

The District is committed to building a culture of environmental learning and sustainability and aims to demonstrate its responsibility as a caring leader in the field of environmental stewardship.

This Administrative Procedure is intended to support the education of ecologically literate individuals with the knowledge, skills, attitudes, experiences and motivation to take personal responsibility and leadership for innovative local and global solutions.

The Administrative Procedure is also intended to reduce the local and global impact of District activities to a practical minimum through actions based on an increased awareness of human caused environmental impact.  This includes planning for mitigation and adaptation within our District in the context of a changing world to protect and improve our community for future generations.

The District is committed to the highest possible standard of environmental stewardship and supports sustainability in all District operations along with the integration of environmental and sustainability education into classroom learning.

Procedures

1. Students are to be active in building a society that is socially responsible and environmentally sustainable.The District supports staff, students and parents being involved in local or global projects that will serve as ongoing reminders of this commitment.
2. The District supports traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) which draws connections between the land and traditional aboriginal ways of knowing and being.Indigenous peoples have a long history of sustainability through their cultures and have traditionally been inextricably connected to the land.Support for curricular integration of TEK recognizes culturally influenced, alternate views about ecology and the environment.
3. All District operations will have as a consideration the enhancement of environmental stewardship and sustainability.
4. The District encourages community engagement in environmental learning and sustainability activities.
5. The Superintendent will prepare a report on an annual basis which outline progress in relation to sustainability measures and initiatives designed to reduce the District’s carbon footprint, as well as their outcomes.
6. Principals shall:
   1. Form a school-based Environmental Learning and Sustainability Committee involving staff, students, parents and community members where practicable.
      1. The committee’s role is to determine priorities and promote initiatives related to environmental learning and sustainable practices.
      2. The committee will report its progress and initiatives annually to the Superintendent.
   2. Support school-wide recycling and ecologically sustainable practices including reducing the use of paper and other products, reducing utility use, reducing water use, re-using items as possible, and exploring other ways to increase efficiencies and/or reduce environmental impact.
7. The District will:
   1. Determine priorities and promote initiatives related to environmental learning and sustainable practices.
   2. Serve as a clearinghouse of information in regard to environmental learning and sustainability.
   3. Encourage all District employees to act as environmental stewards, including in District operations.
   4. Actively seek and recommend environmentally sensitive procedures, materials, and equipment.
   5. Periodically review and update practices as funds, knowledge and improved technology permit.
   6. Report its progress and initiatives annually to the Board.