Education for the
Earth / Éducation
pour la terre /
Kinamasuti wjit
ma'amikeu

Disponible
en Anglais
seulement

Sierra Club of Canada -
Atlantic Canada Chapter
Education Program

Education increases peoples' understanding and ability to influence decisions in a democracy. Educating today's youth is investing in a sustainable future. By connecting today's youth with current environmental issues and stewardship-based solutions, we will help to enhance everyone's quality of life, and ensure strong and healthy communities for the future. Through these programs, students learn important stewardship skills that can be applied to life-long learning.

Programs are:

• Interactive, hands-on and grounded in a real world context
• Require minimal prep. time for teachers
• Provide students with ideas and support to taking action
• Affordable to every classroom
• Link to curriculum in a fun and challenging way

Goal:
The goal of the Education Program is to develop and deliver environmental school programs that increase youths' awareness, understanding and appreciation of the ecological processes and environmental issues of the Atlantic region, and to encourage environmental stewardship actions.

Education Materials / Programs Available:

	Environmental Education Programs offered throughout Atlantic Canada
	The Acadian and Boreal forest 2 part program offered in Elementary schools
	The Endangered Forest and our Ecological Footprint 2 part programs offered in High Schools
	High School Environmental Club capacity building workshop

Key Components and Format:

High School and Elementary Programs will:
	Be curriculum-linked to the prescribed learning outcomes from the Atlantic Curriculum
	Be hands-on and interactive, using tactile props that will stimulate a variety of learning modalities, using different mediums such as group discussions, slideshows, skits, and games
	Both indoors and outdoors. An outdoor component will allow students to 'see' their school grounds from a different perspective. Through this increased sensitivity and spark we will encourage and support long-lasting environmental stewardship skills
	Consist of two presentations delivered two weeks apart. A linking activity will be challenged to the class to complete between presentations
	Focus on local ecological processes, inspiring students to take an active role in caring about their community
	Be comprehensive, and will include teacher support materials which will allow teachers to begin the learning before we arrive and continue on, long after we have left. These materials will be easy to follow, age-appropriate and curriculum linked.
	Offered in French and English
	Total cost of 2 visit program is $10.00

Project Objectives

The core philosophies of the Atlantic Canada Chapter Education Program are:
	Bringing People Together We will act in the spirit of community, cooperation and teamwork in the interest of promoting, enhancing and supporting sound environmental education within Canada.
	Connections with the Earth We focus on the interconnectedness of our ecosystems, linking the local to the global. We encourage environmental stewardship and sustainability to help reduce human impact on the planet.
	Empowerment We seek to provide skills that stimulate critical thought and empower participants to initiate and continue environmental activities. Our Education Programs are based on sound, credible science and are presented in an unbiased fashion, thus allowing students to consider a wide range of opinions and values to make sustainable choices.
	Education by Doing Centered on hands-on outdoor activities, our resources and programs help participants derive a sense of place.

Available to:

Elementary classrooms (grades P-6)

High School classrooms (grades 9-12)

High school environmental groups (or other related groups)

Contact:

Jen Grant, Education Coordinator
1657 Barrington St.
Suite 507
Halifax, NS
B3J 2A1
(902)444-3113
Fax (902) 444-3116
www.sierraclub.ca/atlantic
jeng@sierraclub.ca