Elmwood High students win sustainability award

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A group of 12 Elmwood High School students took home a $3,000 first place prize in the inaugural LSF-RBC Our Canada Project Award for a sustainability project they developed.

“I’m still kind of in shock,” Jenna Forslund, the math and science teacher who organized the sustainability group at Elmwood High, told The Herald following the award’s presentation on Jan. 19 at the school.

Deputy minister Gerald Farthing of the Manitoba Ministry of Education and Higher Learning and RBC regional vice-president Bruce Gehlen were on hand for the presentation.

The LSF-RBC Our Canada Project is designed to engage youth in “conversations about the future” leading up to Canada’s 150th anniversary celebrations. According to a release, the award itself was “established to recognize the creativity and innovation of Canadian youth in modeling responsible citizenship.”

Forslund said she entered her group’s project after perusing the OCP website as a way to showcase the work that the group had been engaged in.

“I had no idea there was a cash prize,” she said. “But lo and behold, we won!”

Since forming the sustainability group at Elmwood High School last year, students  from Grade 9 to 12, along with Forslund and fellow teacher Christina Nguyen, have taken on two major initiatives.

The first was a school wide composting program, undertaken in conjunction with Winnipeg’s Green Action Centre.

The second is a native species garden, set in Elmwood High’s under-utilized courtyard. The garden features native plants, fruits, and vegetables, and a butterfly garden. Forslund said the group has plans to further develop the space into a functioning outdoor classroom in the near future.

As to exactly what the group will do with the $3,000 grant, Forslund said the students are still brainstorming.

“We’re looking at water conservation and energy conservation projects,” she said. “The wind turbine in front of the school needs upgrades. And we’re also looking at the social aspects of sustainability as well.”

“I think a lot of people have misconceptions about sustainability, that it’s only about the environment,” Forslund explained. “Sustainability also encompasses the well-being of people in society, and economics.”