Minister Schulz participating in a water monitoring lesson with Grade 4 students from A.E. Bowers Elementary School
Alberta is home to some of the most unique, breathtaking environments and ecosystems in the world. The environmental initiatives, conservation projects and discoveries of tomorrow will come from the children and teenagers in schools right across the province.
Through the Environmental Student Action Challenge, Alberta’s government is investing $14,000 to help 11 schools run creative projects for students who share a passion for protecting Alberta’s air, water, land and biodiversity. This year’s successful projects cover topics including water conservation, building safe habitats for native bees and pollinators, maintaining native grasslands and creating an Indigenous outdoor classroom.
“The kids in school today are stewards of our environment tomorrow. The Environmental Student Action Challenge is helping turn student innovation into real environmental solutions for the whole community. These students are doing innovative and important work and I am excited to see the results of their projects.”
The Environmental Student Action Challenge lets students from grades K-12 develop a school-based initiative or project that will help minimize negative human impacts to the environment. Any school can apply to create a hands-on experience tackling an environmental issue that directly impacts them, their school or their community.
This year, 11 schools across the province received funding. This includes the Grade 4 class at A.E. Bowers Elementary School in Airdrie, which is focusing on water conservation and stewardship. The students will observe plants and animals along the Nose Creek corridor, test for water quality and survey for pollution and invasive species. All of this will help the class learn more about drought, water conservation and how to protect Alberta’s rivers, lakes and watersheds.
“The Environmental Student Action Challenge gives students a voice and empowers them to take action in their communities on topics that are meaningful to them. Our project is focused on water, giving students the chance to conserve and preserve this precious natural resource.”
More detailed information on the other funded projects, including their results, will be announced at a fun science event in June.
Quick facts
- 13 projects from 11 schools will receive a combined $14,000 in funding.
- The Environmental Student Action Challenge grant is coordinated by the Bow Habitat Station.
- Schools across Alberta are eligible to apply for the grant. Past projects have looked at building a garden of native plants to increase biodiversity and local ecosystems, creating a bee habitat by planting native flowers and shrubs and growing their own produce to calculate their carbon footprint.