This post written by Katie Berger, MES Student The research I’m doing for my latest assignment in my Environmental Policy course has me both fascinated and deeply disturbed. The professor has designed an activity in which small groups form panels to discuss issues of importance to environmental policy in the style of a mock-parliamentary hearing. I was assigned to the panel debating whether or not Canada should endorse the UN’s declaration of water as a fundamental human right which came into ...Read more
Oct. 26th, 2011
Key Ideas: “Sustainable Minds”
This post written by Angela Heagle-Kielbowska, Environmental Studies Graduate Student I recently read the “Sustainable Minds”[i] by Kate Davies in the Alternatives Journal. In this succinct article, Davies highlights the necessity of creating a learning society where humans learn together about living sustainably on Earth. Given the importance of this subject today, I decided to share her six strategies for learning societies. 1. Creating Learning Communities By learning in small groups individuals share diverse perspectives and ideas on sustainability issues. 2. Learning from Experience Giving ...Read more
Oct. 21st, 2011
Belfountain Public School: a school on a professional inquiry path
I have had the pleasure of working with the staff of Belfountain Public School for several years. They stand out in terms of professional practice on a number of levels. The result is a school learning experience that is engaging learners and consistent with the growing body of knowledge that supports students learning in the context of their local communities, working on meaningful, real world projects and bringing social land environmental issues into focus in age-appropriate ways. It is worthwhile ...Read more
Oct. 12th, 2011
So Little Time, So Many Opportunities to Spur Sustainability!
This post written by Katie Berger – Environmental Studies Graduate Student I was starting to feel overwhelmed by the many opportunities to advance sustainability on campus and beyond even before my graduate work began in September. From the Graduate Students’ Association’s campaign to ban bottled water on campus to the Maloca Community Garden crew to the Sustainable Purchasing Coalition, York is rife with people and organizations working together toward a more socially, economically and ecologically sustainable community. During our late summer ...Read more
Sep. 27th, 2011
Sustainable Classroom Tips!
This post written by Angela Heagle Kielbowska – Environmental Studies Graduate student and new LSF blogger. Are you itching to make a difference in the environment but don’t know how? Here are some easy ways that YOU can make a positive change! Sometimes it can be frustrating to hear about the environmental issues that are facing our world today and not know how to solve these problems. I have come up with a few quick and easy ways for classrooms to take ...Read more
Sep. 16th, 2011
Youthful Foodies Unite!
This post written by Katie Berger – Environmental Studies Graduate Student The Toronto Youth Food Policy Council (TYFPC) held its first community meeting of the season this past Monday, September 12th. From 6-8pm I and almost fifty other young people met to discuss issues close to our hearts…and our tummies. So you may be wondering… What is the TYFPC? The TYFPC is an organization founded in 2009 by Tracy Phillippi, a graduate of York University’s Master of Environmental Studies program. It represents ...Read more
Sep. 12th, 2011
Work with Summer (and your Students)!
This post was written by By Teri Burgess – Teacher and LSF Consultant Summer is still in all its glory (until the equinox lady sings…). In September your students’ minds may be wandering outdoors. Step Outside with them. Step Outside is an online almanac that helps you and your students to identify what is happening in the natural world…right now! It can be found at www.r4r.ca/step-outside. The mid-February instalment focused on animal tracks. I enjoyed the tips about distinguishing domestic dogs’ tracks ...Read more
Sep. 9th, 2011
The $1,000,000 Aviva Community Fund is back!
LSF is once again proud to partner with Aviva Canada, one of the country’s leading insurance groups, in helping bring the Aviva Community Fund to life. This fun competition, created to inspire ideas that create positive change within communities across Canada, is a great way for your school to submit R4R Action Project ideas. Individuals or charitable organizations can submit an idea for a cause within their community that they feel passionate about. They then become actively involved in promoting the ...Read more
Aug. 31st, 2011
High Quality, Free Teaching Resources in a Searchable Database
This post was written by By Teri Burgess – Teacher and LSF Consultant It’s Tuesday at 7:30pm. You want to do a really nifty activity with your students for that somehow involves a sustainability issue. You know you could/should look through the (perhaps) fabulous resources on your bookshelf that you’ve gathered from various sustainability-related organizations, but the thought of pulling out all that stuff seems like a little more trouble than it’s worth. Perhaps you should just make something up yourself. ...Read more
Aug. 24th, 2011
Adventures in Gardening
LSF coordinators Randall and Sabreena decided to put a dent in their food miles this summer with a little gardening. In spite of being novice gardeners (neither has kept a house plant alive for longer than a few months) they had encouraging results! To date their harvest includes enough romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, herbs, peppers, strawberries, zucchinis, eggplants, peas, beans, and spaghetti squashes for several delightful meals – that may have inspired some healthy competition in the lunch department. But ...Read more