2021 School Earth Hour
Challenge Submission Showcase

New for 2021! More than just turning off the lights for an hour, the School Earth Hour Challenge aims to change the energy behaviour of students and staff. Despite the ongoing challenges posed by COVID-19 protocols, these schools made energy conservation a priority, resulting in measurable environmental impacts. 

First Place - Chris Hadfield Public School, K-Grade 8
Milton, Ontario

As a certified Platinum Canadian EcoSchool, conserving energy is a normal everyday occurrence for the students and staff of Chris Hadfield P.S. Earth Day re-news that practice and for an entire day, students focused on turning off any unnecessary lights, unplugging unused devices, and spreading the energy-saving message within their community. They even contacted their school board and addressed a new safety protocol that was wasting energy. Working with their Sustainability Coordinator, they were able to reduce
their energy use by over 140 kWh, or 24%, compared to their average Friday energy use. They calculated that their energy savings are equivalent to 31kg of greenhouse gases, the yearly sequestration potential of almost 2 trees, over 12,000 Smartphones charged, or 4 bags of trash! 

Second Place - Eastwood Collegiate Institute, Grades 9-12
Kitchener, Ontario

Despite the challenges of this year, which required the students of Eastwood Collegiate Institute's Impact Club to take more initiative than usual, environmentalism remained a priority and their creativity and passion for action shined. The students participated in an inter-school competition, which allowed schools to earn points through daily challenges, including Meatless Monday, Take-A-Walk Tuesday, Wasteless Wednesday, Thermostat Thursday, and Filter Friday. As students learned remotely, they were able to leverage social media platforms to inspire other students to take action and participate in their challenges. In addition to participating in the Earth week competition, the students created an energy savings plan, which outlines both school-wide and personal environmental initiatives for the short and long term. 

Third Place - Hampton High School, Grades 9-12
Hampton, New Brunswick

Amazed at how much their school was paying after reviewing their monthly electricity bill, students discovered that most energy is wasted by turning on classroom lights before students and teachers arrive. The students used their school's energy metering technology to calculate the energy used by overhead fluorescent lights compared to LED lamps in classrooms. They also conducted occupant surveys, which indicated that students prefer learning with natural light. Every student in the school participated in at least one Earth Hour event, such as one hour no power, take me outside day or watching an environmental documentary. Students shared their learning through daily announcements, on social media, and by drawing the Sustainable Development Goals in chalk leading into the school. After learning about the mass of CO2 emitted per kWh students have become the champions of this knowledge, encouraging and reminding their peers and educators to make environmentally friendly choices, such as turning off the lights when possible and composting. 

Meadowlane Public School, Grade 6
Kitchener, Ontario

Despite a challenging year, Mr. Bogg's grade 6 class was determined to keep environmentalism a priority. Participating in a variety of activities, the students focused on social activism and energy education. Encouraging other classes in the school to participate in the 'One Hour, No Power' and balancing classes with their limited outdoor space, Mr. Bogg's class plans to engage more of their school community and have a greater social media presence during next years event.
The School Earth Hour Challenge and Energy Revealed Program are made possible by the generous support of our funders: