Secondary School Programs
Sustainable High Schools (SHS) empowers youth to envision sustainable communities, assess their school's sustainability, design and implement school projects. We provide training, tools, resources and opportunities for youth to connect and work towards Climate Change solutions.
Students generate greater social equity, ecological integrity and economic accountability through classroom projects, policy creation, and infrastructure upgrades - all while meeting other passionate individuals who are working to create a better world!
The SHS Project is offered in partnership with the Sierra Youth Coalition, the youth branch of the Sierra Club. Sustainable High Schools is adapted from SYC's successful Sustainable Campuses Project. Both are youth-driven initiatives created to support school communities in envisioning, assessing and improving their level of ecological and social well-being.
Our in-class presentations include:
- Water and Food Security (9-12): looks at the percentage of available fresh water, the need to maintain healthy water ecosystems, the growing tensions between public and private water distribution, accessibility and availability of locally produced food, and solutions for improving community resilience surrounding food and water systems.
- Economy and Wealth (9-12): explores the true cost of the products we consume, the market economy, and concepts such as fair-trade and organic products, purchasing power, ethical consumerism and wealth distribution.
- Youth Action for Sustainability (10-12): action-based learning projects in which students undertake an assessment of their school's sustainability. An interdisciplinary project which combines action planning, asset mapping, project design and implementation.
Inactive Programs for 2012-2013 school year:
- Energy and Climate Change (9-12): looks at the causes, effects and solutions of Climate Change, making connections to energy use and the next great energy revolution!
How can youth get involved in Sustainable High Schools?
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Become a member of our Youth Steering Committee.
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Sign up for one of our environmental and social justice leadership training events.
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Start a Sustainability Advisory Committee! Work with other student leaders, teachers & administrators to envision and create the kind of school you’d like to see.
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Do a Sustainability Assessment of your school: download our SHS Kit (or click here for a French version) and use its 30 indicators to measure the sustainability of your school.
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Inspired by a sustainable idea or project? We are always here to provide suggestions or resources to make it a reality.
