School Board Celebrates Over 10 Years with Ontario Ecoschools

For Immediate Release

MEDIA RELEASE

School Board celebrates over 10 years with Ontario EcoSchools

This year, [Board name] has [##] of certified EcoSchools from a record number of over 1,830 schools across the province - and [## or %] of these schools have participated in the Ontario EcoSchools program for over ten years.

“Schools that engage with the program over a long period of time often build a strong culture of environmental learning and action supported by the vibrant leadership of EcoTeams,” says ElanorWaslander, Executive Director of Ontario EcoSchools. “Certification provides a flexible framework that allows school communities to choose the actions they wish to focus on and celebrate their successes each year.”

Ontario EcoSchools works with 56 boards across the province to nurture student leadership and build environmentally responsible school communities. Certification is based on a provincial standard established by twelve years of benchmarking: currently, the program certifies 37% of all schools in Ontario and engages close to 850,000 students.

[Board name] is proud to be part of this growing network, and supports regular environmental education and practices in schools. [Quote from School Board official]

Quick Facts

●[Board name] quick fact 1: For the 2016-17 school year, ## schools achieved Bronze level, ## Silver level, ## Gold level, and ## Platinum.]

●[Board name]quick fact 2: statement on environmental commitment and any school highlights]

●Ontario EcoSchools is an environmental education and certification program for grades K-12 that nurtures environmental leaders, reduces the ecological impact of schools, and builds environmentally responsible school communities. All publicly funded schools can access the EcoSchools program free of charge.

●Ontario EcoSchools is the proud recipient of the 2015 Minister's Award for Environmental Excellence.

●A recent third-party study indicates Platinum EcoSchool students on average produce 57% less combined landfill waste than Non-EcoSchool students. Read the full report.

●Ontario EcoSchools operates with support from the Government of Ontario, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, and is administered by York University

Learn More & Contact Us

Visitontarioecoschools.org for more information on the program. For interviews please contact:

School Board Contact Name

Title

Phone Number

Email address

Melissa Benner

Communication Director, Ontario EcoSchools

Cell: 647-740-0803