Back to Class with our Education Team

The Sierra Club BC Education Team is well into another school year! It has been a great fall as our educators traveled across Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland to deliver our elementary and middle school programs.

We started the program season with two new educators, Kieran Dowling and Galen Armstrong. Both bring rich environmental education backgrounds and an enthusiastic presence in the classroom. Kieran and Galen have delivered programs in many schools in Victoria and recently returned from two weeks delivering programs in Port Moody.

The fabulous welcome and enthusiasm that Kieran and Galen received while at the Port Moody school was a trip highlight. A quick visit with the Port Moody Beavers of Scouts Canada proved a lively way to deliver our programs to a new audience, outside the school environment.

The weather throughout the two weeks on the road certainly helped demonstrate the importance of ocean and mountains in producing rain for growth of a healthy temperate rainforest! "It was great to see how well rehearsed the kids are at getting ready to go outside and brave the weather conditions, wind, rain, snow and cold," Kieran said.

Our Ed team has also been to the west coast of the island delivering the Going Wild program at schools near Tofino. For more details on this, check out Educator Meg Banavage's blog about the trip.

The Sustainable High Schools program has also returned, with Kieran heading to schools to present on climate change, water, and sustainability. Kieran has also gotten this year’s Youth Steering Committee off the ground, with local youth from Victoria. The gatherings provide opportunities for high school youth to work together discussing action-project ideas that promote leadership, sustainability and social justice.

We are excited to see what activities and events the YSC will develop for next year and look forward to seeing more youth joining the gatherings.

In September, we put out a call for volunteer environmental educators to help deliver programs in the classroom. We’re thrilled with our group of dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers who have been having fun leading games and activities with Galen and Kieran! The volunteers will be an important part of our success in delivering programs at local schools.

Next year's program schedule is already filling up, and our educators are going to be busy out at schools across Victoria and in Vancouver! Expect other changes too, as our Education Program Manager, Nadine Lefort, leaves for a one-year maternity leave. A new manager will step into her shoes in January.

Best of luck Nadine, with the newest member of the Sierra Club!