Education and Early Childhood Learning

Successful Recipients of the ESD Grants for 2011

This year Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning and Manitoba Hydro awarded 16 schools grants of up to $2000 each. The proposals are an excellent example of the dedication and creativity that Manitoba educators and their students exhibit in the field of education for sustainable development. ESD provides a rich portfolio of experiential learning opportunities and it honours whole student growth and development.

This grant is slated to continue for the 2012-13 school year. The brochures and applications will be available on this website.

The successful applicants are focusing on the following initiatives:

Brock-Corydon School: Winnipeg: A Diamond in the Rough?

Students will choose various cultural, entertainment and environmental ventures of the city to determine how decisions are made and what sustainable factors are considered. They understand as citizens of the city they have an important role to play.

Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School: Children's Water Festival

Grade 4 students in the school division will learn about the importance of water from stations set up outside by grade 12 students from Crocus Plains school, professionals and the community. Topics include, conservation and protection, water science and technology, water health and safety and water and society.

École Beausejour Early Years: Renewal Project

School yard naturalization including; composting, vegetable gardens, habitat development including flower beds, native grasses, bird feeders with outdoor learning connected to curriculum. Harvesting vegetables to make soup as a celebration.

École James Nisbet Community School: The James Nisbet Learning Garden

A continuation of the gardening project begun last year which developed an outdoor classroom for nature based education. Addition this year of trees and shrubs and 4 themed vegetable gardens based on harvest times.

École La Verendrye: "A Better Tomorrow"   "Un Avenir Meilleur"

Students from Nursery to Grade 6 will incorporate an ESD theme in order to write and publish a book based on the 3 pillars of ESD.

École St. Eustache: 4 Seasons Classroom

The goal is to have students and the community reconnect with nature through environmental studies by creating an outdoor classroom for use in all seasons.

Edmund Partridge Community School: School Community Garden as an Outdoor Classroom

The students and community will develop 4 raised garden beds to grow food and connect to healthy eating. Other plants will be used for school yard naturalization.

Grass River Colony School: Grass River Sustainability Project

The colony school yard will be transformed from a field to a space for physical and outdoor education. A greenhouse project will be started to reduce the amount of plants needing to be purchased each year and school yard naturalization and habitat development will occur.

Nelson McIntyre Collegiate: Sawdust Recovery Project

Students in geography and industrial arts will collaborate to prevent the expense and waste of sawdust being taken to a landfill by recovering sawdust from the woods lab to make a viable product for fireplaces and fire pits.

Niji Mahkwa School: Changing Our World Begins at Home

Incorporating art, social studies and aboriginal perspectives students will demonstrate their understanding of sustainability through painting and collage. The project will be based on the medicine wheel and the elements of earth, wind, water and fire.

Oak Lake Community School: Environmental Citizenship - Lessons for a Sustainable Future

The school will have a theme for the year on Environmental Citizenship. The theme will be developed by projects and activities that explore civic responsibility, local and global concerns and environmental stewardship.

Pinawa Secondary School: Heritage Greenspace/Outdoor Classroom

Students collaborated on a school yard naturalization project including community space, memorial garden, a living classroom for teaching and learning and space for reflection and relaxation.

Rivers Elementary School: Rivers Elementary School Community Garden

Students and community will create a garden that celebrates their place in a rural community, appreciation of their agricultural heritage and share their produce with the community.

Sisler High School: Sisler's Annual Sustainability Conference

Sisler students are planning a sustainability conference where a variety of environmental issues are identified addressed and future school goals are established to address them.

Strathcona Community School: Artful Learning Garden

This project initiated by community is now partnering with the school to create an ecological and inviting setting for community children and adults to foster health. They will create vegetable gardens, learn about forest foods, nutrition, environmental restoration, beautification and recreation.

Valleyview Centennial School: Outdoor Medicine Wheel Learning Grounds

The students will create a 10 ft medicine wheel learning ground to incorporate traditional herbs and teachings. Planters will be developed as examples of sustainable farming.

---