2019 Kick-off Resources

This year's theme is Building Hope and Resilience Through Climate Action: Empowering Students To Be Agents of Change.

Climate change is happening now. The students we are teaching are facing a real and serious risk to their future livelihoods and well-being by accelerating climate disruptions. If left unchecked, climate change will adversely affect every ecosystem and community. Never has it been more critical to study the social, cultural, and ecological implications and have conversations-often difficult ones-about climate change in the classroom.

As educators, how can we support our students to cope with the emotions that are evoked by this environmental and social crisis? Moreover, how do we prepare students to participate effectively as engaged citizens in a world that needs everyone ready and willing to take action for a livable planet?

Join us, as we explore together, how we can encourage students to be passionate, positive, and part of the world as global citizens, and collectively transform schools into communities of hope and activism. The full-day program and break-out workshops will be interactive, with lots of opportunities to network and come away with ideas you can use in your school to take action on this important issue.

NEW! The Kick-offs are full-day sessions this year and are open to elementary staff (including daycare and caretaking staff, and office administrators), parents, Trustees and Superintendents.

Register now on Key-to-Learn for 1 of the 6 full-day Kick-offs at a location that is convenient for you.

Time: 8:30 am to 3:15 pm
Dates/Location: October 10 or 16: TDSB West Ed. Office - 1 Civic Centre Court
Date/Location: October 15 at UofT Scarborough Campus - 1265 Military Trail
Dates/Location: October 17 or 21: Japanese Cultural Centre - 6 Garamond Court

We strongly encourage you to send 2 adults to represent your school. EcoSchools will provide funding to release 1 staff member for the full-day session. Schools provide coverage for additional staff members.

Questions: Contact Serita Lawson at Serita.Lawson@tdsb.on.ca for registration and session inquiries.

Kick-off resources:

ASST Workshop Presentation

• Acting Out Energy
• Carbon Cycle
• What is Excellent Climate Change Education
• The Systems Game

2018 Kick-off Resources

This year’s Kick-off theme is Building Global Competencies through Wicked Problems: The Plastics Challenge. It expands on last year’s Rethinking Waste theme by critically looking at single-use plastics. "Wicked Problems" such as plastic pollution are complex, multi-facetted and hard to fix. We will be exploring how students can gain skills and competencies while contributing solutions to this "wicked problem".

Kick-off resources:

Kick-off Presentation

Global Citizenship & Plastic Pollution Resources Recommendations

Teacher Resource: The Plastics Challenge 2018

Bag2School Presentation

One Piece a Day

Global Competencies sticker labels

2017 Kick-off Resources

This year’s theme is Rethinking Waste. During our presentation we will explore waste issues, the barriers and incentives to changing waste practices, and ways to connect this issue to the EcoSchools program.