Inaugural Inspirational Classroom Award

Barbara Woodside's Grade Four Class, Delta, BC

(left front) McCloskey Elementary school’s principal Niels Nielsen, (middle) Barbara Woodside, Grade 4 teacher and (right) Neil Stephenson, Delta school district’s Director of Learning Services.

Ms. Woodside’s Grade 4 class were awarded the Inaugural Inspirational Classroom Award by the Salt Spring Institute for Sustainability Education & Action (I-SEA) in this year’s Youth Climate Activism Awards.

“Students researched climate change and its many causes, such as deforestation and fossil fuels, before determining what they could do as a class and a school to make a positive difference,” said Ms. Woodside. “They decided to turn their attention to an issue that is directly within their control - reducing the amount of garbage that goes to the landfill.”

The Grade 4 Class made posters and delivered presentations on climate change to every other class in the school to encourage all students and staff to be more mindful of what they are throwing in the garbage and to inspire them to reduce their waste. The students also wrote individual essays before working in small teams to put together group essays on the topic. The group essays were submitted for the Youth Climate Activism Awards, leading to the I-SEA creating a new award category, the Inspirational Classroom Award in recognition of Ms. Woodside’s leadership and the students’ work towards the betterment of the planet.

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On Wednesday, June 27, Ms. Woodside and her Grade 4 students were presented with a $1,500 cheque from I-SEA for their efforts by Neil Stephenson, Director of Learning Services, Delta School District. The class has decided to donate the funds to support the creation of a school mural that highlights the importance of composting and recycling.

“I was inspired to get the class involved in this important initiative as it provides valuable learning for them in a number of areas including science, writing and activism,” said their teacher Ms. Woodside. “I am so proud of the class – they worked so hard on their individual and group essays, and thoroughly enjoyed giving presentations to the other divisions.”

As part of the submissions application we asked participants to answer these 3 questions in addition to their essay.

This is just a small sampling from Ms. Woodside’s Grade 4 Class… and we should add that most of the answers to question 3 were “my teacher!”. 😀

What future goals do you have around your environmental and climate work, and do you have any future projects in mind?

“My future goal is i pick up the garbage and put it in the right bin.”

“I will be giving more presentations (with my group) to teach recycling to others in school.”

“My goal is to reduce global warming and make the planet a better place.”

“My future goal is to help my dad convince others to save soil and I want to make posters saying "Save soil!"

If you could share with us one message of hope for our planet, what would it be?

“My message is — I wish we have a peaceful planet, somewhere we don't need to worry about climate change.”

“I think enough of us are starting to take global warming seriously, so we'll be able to eliminate the worst effects of climate change.”

“I want to help the Earth.”

“My message of hope is that if we all try our best, we will be able to save the earth.”

Who or what inspires you to work on climate change?

“My teacher inspires me to work on climate change.”

“My friends and my teacher inspired me to work on climate change.”

“My grade 4 teacher Ms. Woodside!”

“The thing that I was inspired by was people putting the wrong things in the garbage bins.”