The Cool It! Climate Leadership Training program has been delivered by the BC Sustainable Energy Association to schools across BC since 2007. It supports teachers in engaging students on climate change and helps to develop and empower young sustainability champions in grades 4 to 7 and, starting in 2010/2020, also provides a program for high school students. 

Saanich partners with the Capital Regional District (CRD) to fund Cool It! workshops within Saanich schools. In each workshop, our Environmental Educators use videos, games, quizzes and discussion to build on students’ knowledge of climate change. Following the workshop, students take home the four-week Cool It! Challenge that encourages families to make easy but important changes to their energy consumption. Through this activity, students and their families are challenged to initiate life-long behaviour changes in order to reduce their carbon footprint.

The Saanich class achieving the greatest reduction in energy consumption wins a class prize and gets their award presented by Mayor and Council at the annual Saanich Environment Awards.

If you are a Saanich school or teacher interested in participating in the program, please contact Sustainability.  If you’re unable to participate in the program but would love a way to incorporate climate change into your classroom, the BCSEA has resources available for all to use and others are available from the CRD.