Strengthening Environmental Education

The National Framework for Environmental Learning is an initiative of Environment and Climate Change Canada aimed at strengthening environmental literacy, providing guiding principles, focus areas and examples to inspire action. It is a tool for educators, policy makers and other leaders in the formal and non-formal education sectors to create and build on existing materials, programs and initiatives.  

Youth voices, ideas and perspectives have been central to this work, along with other stakeholders (including Indigenous peoples, academics, educators, international partners, provincial and federal governments, industry and the philanthropic sector). These eight students were part of a larger group of 60 students who were brought together across Ontario to think creatively, collaborate with experts and policy makers, and contribute to advancing environmental learning across Canada. Students looked at reports and plans prepared by the Centre for Global Education’s Youth Council along with environmental education experts and policymakers, gave feedback on examples of environmental learning in classroom and co-curricular activities, and brainstormed ideas for K-12 environmental learning. 

Three of the BSS students who attended — Leena S ’27, Ashlyn D ’27 and Omara D ’26 — have been selected to participate as National Student Leads along with 12 other students from across Canada at the United Nations Environmental Learning Conference in Armenia in this fall, where they will present their findings from the spring conference.