2018BC Green Games

FINAL REPORT

FINAL REPORT 2018

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2017/182715285402,46096351,70015136,000+4,500

Districts

Projects

Schools

Votes

Community Coaches consulted

Province-wide field trips

Schools to celebrate with Science World’s On The Road team

Students reached through the On The Road team

Students to celebrate BCGG with Science World’s On The Road team

(14 schools)

Students to receive free field trip

at a glance

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Table of Contents

6 Program Overview

8 Contest Summary

8 Early Bird Prizes

10 Projects

10 Community Coaches

11 Voting

12 Winners

15 Field Trips

16 2017–18 Metrics

19 Thank You

20 Sponsors

21 Teacher and Team Leader Survey Results

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“Thanks so much for the experience. I have a passion for environmental science and now my students do too! I am so proud of the work they have been doing to continue their project and take care of our environment. My students have counted and collected over 1,000 pieces of trash since they started their own Garbage Club! They have fun in their club too.”

–From the Teacher Survey

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Program Overview

Celebrating 10 Years of Green Achievements Across the Province

In 2008, a unique partnership between Science World and the Province of British Columbia, through the Ministry of Education, led to the creation of BC Green Games. Designed to inspire positive change in school and community behaviour, BC Green Games increases students’ awareness of environmental issues and their own ability to become local leaders and improve sustainable practices in everyday life.

Now wrapping up its tenth—and most successful—year, BC Green Games has truly established itself as a high profile annual success story. The contest is unique for its legacy virtual sharing space, community involvement and place-based education opportunities.

BC Green Games’ searchable repository of student-led, implemented and documented environmental action projects has been an inspirational starting point for many new and returning participants. The database of projects also enables the continuous recognition of community mentors, who have been inspired to contribute their time and resources to help students implement their positive changes.

As BC curriculum evolves, BC Green Games’ place-based environmental education opportunities have become its most valuable feature. Through the program, teachers receive a fun and rewarding opportunity to teach environmental concepts and inspire students and communities to be more effective, efficient and environmentally friendly for years to come. It is truly a one-of-a-kind 21st century learning opportunity.

Now, with 10 years of environmental success behind us, and over 1,000 project stories hosted on the BC Green Games website, it is worth reflecting on the thousands of students, hundreds of teachers and the countless parents, mentors and judges who have been inspired to contribute their time and resources to their schools and communities. Their hard work is helping the next generation of environmental stewards flourish, and we would not be where we are today without them. We want to give our sincere thanks for their help as we work to grow a greener BC.

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All registered BC Green Games teams.

A closer look at the BC Green Games teams in the Lower Mainland.

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Contest SummaryOctober 15 to June 30

Year 10 of BC Green Games launched on October 15, 2017. As in previous years, our reputation preceded us. Teachers who wished to participate in the program sought us out before the official launch. A sharp social media campaign, targeted emails and advertising on schools’ internal communication boards kept interest buzzing all the way through the program, leading to our most successful year ever.

As this was the tenth year of BC Green Games, we focused our digital storytelling on a mix of past and present accomplishments of the program, highlighting standout projects and important milestones.

The multitude of prizes that BC Green Games offers are always a big draw for new and returning participants. This year, there were some returning favourites, as well as a few brand new prizes. In total, BC Green Games handed out $20,000 in cash prizes and a variety of experiential prizes.

Early Bird PrizesOctober 15 to November 30

Every elementary team that registered before November 30 received Planet Protector Academy: Keep Cool workshops. The Keep Cool program teaches students about climate change, energy and transportation issues though engaging videos, housed in an interactive website, which teachers project at the front of the classroom. It combines story, arts-based activities and gamification to engage children in learning and empowers them to become climate action superheroes.

Secondary teams that registered before the Early-Bird Deadline were put in the running to win S’well water bottles for their entire team. Using reusable water bottles helps cut down on unnecessary waste.

The Early-Bird Prizes proved to be a great incentive for teams to register. There were 100 early registrations from 27 school districts.

Regular registration was ongoing until January 15.

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Your story helps grow a greener BC.Share your story and join our 10-year, province-wide celebration!

bcgreengames.ca

10 YEARS of BC Green Games

Community Coach support has been recognized

1,066 times.

1,052,849 votes have been cast.

$240,000+ has been handed out in cash prizes.

2 schools have participated every year in the BC Green Games.

11,000+ students have come to Science World for free field trips.

6,500+ students have been visited by Science World’s On The Road team to celebrate their green achievements.

Since 2008, we have received

1,143 projects.Year-end statistics

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ProjectsJanuary 15 to March 1

This year, we received 152 project submissions: 64 came from elementary schools, 39 from middle schools and 49 from secondary schools. The projects covered a huge variety of topics, including (but not limited to):

Designing and implementing plans to green school grounds

Organizing cleanups of school grounds, parks and local riparian ecosystems with community partners

Developing habitat spaces for native species of bats, birds and solitary bees

Implementing school-wide composting programs using bokashi and/or vermiculture

Constructing greenhouses, aquaponics systems and even a climate battery

Community CoachesCommunity Coaches are individuals or organizations that a team selects to help them with their project. A Community Coach might be an environmental organization, a local government representative, a custodian, a farmer or a parent. Community Coaches help support a team’s eco-actions through various activities. They may visit the school, host a workshop, allow a team to tour their organization or recommend helpful resources. Community Coaches are not necessary for entry into the program, but they can be a great way to motivate teams and get them more deeply involved in their chosen topics. Ninety-six Community Coaches were recognized this year.

Students from Yaqan Nukiy School work hard to clean their local shorelines.

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VotingCall2Recycle® Viewer’s Choice Award March 1 to March 30

The voting component of the program was developed to bring communities together to view and support the projects they were connected to, as well as show their interest in other projects. Voting was possible upon upload, providing incentive for teams to submit their projects early. Voters could vote for as many projects as they liked in order to promote cross-viewership, but voters had to wait five minutes between voting for the same project. The voting period promotes active engagement with the contest, and keeps the BC Green Games projects at the front of participants’ minds for many weeks.

The finally tally of votes came to 403,460 for 2017–2018, up from 367,854 in 2016–17.

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WinnersJudging April 4

Each of the 152 projects submitted went through a rigorous judging process by at least three volunteer judges. The judging group was very robust this year. Judges came from a variety of backgrounds but shared a unifying interest in environmental action. Retired teachers, science educators, engineers and geologists all pitched in their time to view and judge up to 10 projects each. Once a project was viewed three times, the highest ranked projects were taken to a final judging meeting, where prizes were awarded.

“Whenever I review the projects, I am so amazed at the energy from the students and their communities. BC Green Games has had such a positive influence on this generation of students and those to come.” –Briar Ballou, BC Green Games judge

Green Grants

Five elementary school teams and five secondary school teams were awarded $1,000 Green Grants to further their green initiatives.

The elementary school winners are:

Timothy Christian School for Marine Plastic Pollution: The Seven Squad Investigates and Acts to Preserve the Environment

Sir James Elementary for Active and Safe Routes to School—100% in 1 Day

Silverdale Elementary for Silverdale Tree Planting

Vedder Elementary for What’s for Lunch?

WD Ferris Elementary for E(co)volution: Environmental Growth @WD Ferris Elementary

The secondary school winners are:

Yaqan Nukiy School for Hakamhunikin—Projects with a Purpose

Carver Christian High School for The Bottle Busters from Carver Christian High School

Okanagan Mission Secondary for Mission Roots Cafe

Richmond Secondary for E-Waste Collection Week!

Archbishop Carney Regional Secondary for Archbishop Carney Environment Club (2017–2018)

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“[I like] the possibility to secure funding for forward green initiatives at my school [and] the ability to engage students with the money and possibilities.” –From the Teacher Survey

Travel Subsidy Prize

Teams could win up to $3,000 to go on field trips! This year the prize was split between two teams, who both received $1,500:

Charles Dickens Elementary for De-Colonizing Local Ecology: Learning Medicinal and Food Uses of Native Plants

Edith Cavell Elementary for Trekking Thursdays

Science World Sleepover

Three elementary school teams celebrated their green achievements with an overnight adventure under the dome!

Alexander Elementary for Salmon Savers

Parkcrest Elementary for The Wiggly Worms

Powell River Christian School for Zero Waste Learners

“Thanks so much again for spearheading this event. Our kids and their parents are continuing to rave about their experiences. You and your organization have been such a blessing to us. We are most grateful for your generosity and for giving each of us such incredible, enduring memories.” –Sleepover Winner

Sustainability Leadership Camp

A secondary school team will be celebrating their hard work with a sleepover on Galiano Island! This year’s winner is:

Shawnigan Lake for The Fairy Forest Trail

On The Road Visits

Every school outside of the Lower Mainland is added to a draw to have Science World’s On The Road team visit their school. Their high energy gymnasium presentations are curriculum linked and provide an unforgettable science experience for the students.

This year the On The Road team visited 14 schools that participated in BC Green Games!

EEPSA Memberships

Five teachers received Environmental Educators Provincial Specialist Association (EEPSA) Memberships for their outstanding work with BC Green Games. EEPSA is a dynamic volunteer organization promoting networking, curriculum support and leadership in environmental education.

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Sponsored PrizesThese prizes would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors.

Call2Recycle® Viewer’s Choice Award

The voting campaigns this year were top notch! We are proud to announce the teams that received the most votes:

WD Ferris Elementary for E(co)volution: Environmental Growth @WD Ferris Elementary

Nicola Canford Elementary for Nicola Canford Dream Team

Maple Creek Middle School for Team 6

Carver Christian School for We Are Stewards

Be a Battery Recycling Advocate Prize

To win this brand new prize, green teams were challenged to develop a campaign that would increase awareness around the importance of battery recycling, while also encouraging people to collect and recycle their batteries at one of over 1,600 Call2Recycle collection locations across BC.

Campaign Criteria

Focus on primary (single use) and rechargeable consumer batteries that weigh less than 5kg.

A strong message and call to action (why, how and where to recycle).

Must educate, encourage and inspire.

Must address how to safely store used batteries before they are dropped off for recycling.

Should contain an example of how the campaign would be executed and what the best medium would be to drive the campaign (social media, radio, TV, ad placement, etc.).

The two winning schools were each awarded a $2,500 VISA gift card to use toward technology for their school or toward a sustainability initiative. The winners are:

Burnsview Secondary for Burnsview Battery Drive Campaign

Fraser Heights Secondary for Fraser Heights Battery Challenge

ReGeneration School Mural Prize

Winners of the ReGeneration School Mural prize will celebrate their school’s commitment to protect the environment with a mural created with recycled paint! The winners are:

Dorothy Peacock Elementary for Lights! Robots! Action!

Richmond Secondary for E-Waste Collection Week!

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Field TripsMarch 1 to June 20

Every team that submits a project to BC Green Games is invited to enjoy a free field trip at Science World (or their nearest science centre). This year, we expanded the field trip window to give teachers more time to take advantage of this opportunity. The dates ranged from April 22 to May 22 and from March 1 to June 30. Teachers responded very positively to this change, and more teams were able to visit! More than 1,700 students from 35 schools visited Science World.

“I think it is wonderful that you open up Science World to all participants. This means that everyone wins, and we reinforce learning for the reward of more learning opportunities. It gives children recognition for their hard work and ingenuity. They are so proud of their contributions, so being acknowledged by experts in the field of science validates their learning and helps them to feel connected to the world of science educators.” –From the Teacher Survey

Students from Alexander Elementary present their BC Green Games project at Science World.

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Offsite

Events—logo recognition

BC Field Trip Fair 450 450

Community Science Celebration— Prince Rupert 400 400

Community Science Celebration— Prince George 1,200 1,200

Community Science Celebration— Campbell River 1,100 1,100

Events at Science World

Teachers’ Night Out—January 216 216

Teachers’ Night Out—May 210 210

Earth Day 3,180 3,180

BCGG Field Trip Period (May 1–June 30) 295,410 295,410

Global Rewind 55 55

BCGG Campaign # of people

Potential Reach / Impression(# of benefit x # of people)

2017–18 Metrics

Subtotal—onsite impressions 299,071

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School Visits

Salt Spring Elementary 180 180

École Cobble Hill 360 360

Shawnigan Lake 38 38

Sir James Douglas Elementary 490 490

Colquitz Middle School 460 460

Promontory Heights Community Elementary 563 563

Timothy Christian School 153 153

Vedder Elementary 503 503

Greendale Elementary 166 166

Cultus Lake Community School 200 200

Yarrow Community School 326 326

Watson Elementary 540 540

Bernard Elementary 310 310

Alexander Elementary 220 220

Offsite

Promotional—logo recognition

Letters to K–12 Principals 1,617 1,617

Twitter @scienceworldtr 5,400 21,600

Twitter @bcgreengames 365 1,460

Facebook (BC Green Games) 520 2,080

Registration E-blast #1 527 527

E-blasts #1–#10 701 701

Winners E-Blast 701 701

Science World Teacher Resource Emails (1–3) 3,100 3,100

BCGG Campaign # of people

Potential Reach / Impression(# of benefit x # of people)

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BC Green Games website

Page Views 783,475 783,475

Sessions on website from Sept–May 135,560 135,560

Users 38,401 38,401

Voting Period (votes) 402,460 402,460

Community Coaches / Judges

Community Coaches 96 96

Judges 30 30

News Coverage

https://globalnews.ca/video/4144549/ winning-team-in-science-world-project- brings-back-history

400,000 400,000

http://www.metronews.ca/news/ vancouver/2017/12/06/b-c-green-games- environmental-action-contest-opens.html

400,000 400,000

External Coverage

http://www.regeneration.ca/news/ recycled-paint-mural-bc-green-games/ 500,000 500,000

Subtotal—offsite impressions 2,701,118

Grand Total 3,299,260

BCGG Campaign # of people

Potential Reach / Impression(# of benefit x # of people)

Collateral—logo recognition

BCGG Poster 1,500 1,500

BCGG Certificates 151 151

Offsite

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Thank

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Thank YouThe 2017–2018 BC Green Games program was not only a success, but it was also an inspiration and a pleasure for me to be a part of. I could not be more proud of all the amazing work that has been done by dedicated and driven teams from across the province.

I would like to give my thanks to my wonderful colleagues at Science World and to the program’s green-hearted sponsors, for helping inspire thousands of students across the province as they worked to make their schools and communities a little greener.

We will see you again in the fall for Year 11!

With gratitude,

Ashley van der Pouw KraanBC Green Games Program Manager

About Science World

Science World British Columbia is a charitable organization.

Mission: Through science and nature, we ignite wonder and empower dreams.

Vision: Within a generation, Canada will be a country of thriving, sustainable communities rooted in scientific literacy, technological innovation, and a deep connection to nature.

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Recharging the Planet. Recycling Your Batteries.TM

SponsorsSupporting Sponsors

By working with corporate sponsors, the scope of BC Green Games has been able to flourish and more fully meet the needs of participants.

Viewer’s Choice Award Sponsor

Be a Battery Recycling Advocate SponsorCall2Recycle is North America’s first and largest battery stewardship program. It is a not-for-profit organization that collects and recycles batteries at no cost for municipalities, businesses and consumers. Call2Recycle has established over 34,000 collection sites throughout Canada and the US. It is the first program of its kind to receive the Responsible Recycling Practices Standard (R2) certification.

ReGeneration School Mural Prize SponsorReGeneration is a not-for-profit group that believes reducing waste is the key to our future. They recycle environmentally harmful products such as light bulbs, smoke alarms and paint at free drop-off locations across the country. ReGeneration is committed to reducing waste and protecting our planet for future generations.

Early-Bird Prize SponsorTraining Planet Protector superheroes since 1997! Through story, music, interactive media and live theatre, DreamRider Productions creates inclusive, meaningful and full-throttle experiences that children adore and that instill positive environmental values in their hearts and in their actions. Kids feel energized, happy and eager to put into practice what they have learned!

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Survey Results

Are you new to BC Green Games this year? 01

I am new this year

I have been involved with BC Green Games for 3+ years

This is my second year

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Count Percent

54%

34%

13%

Are you a Teacher or a Team Leader?02

44

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Count Percent

79%

21%

Teacher

Team Leader

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Please rank, in order of importance, these aspects of the BC Green Games program

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Rank ChoiceWeighted

Rank

1Action-based environmental program

2.82

2 Curriculum connections 3.46

3 Field trip opportunities 3.73

4 Cash/prizes 4.40

5 Science World affiliation 5.22

6 Certificates/recognition 5.60

7 Access to mentorship 6.19

8Permanent archive of projects

6.42

9 Provincial outreach 6.63

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Tell us about your experience with the BC Green Games program

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DisagreeSomewhat disagree Neutral

Somewhat agree Agree

I was able to navigate the website easily 0 3 4 19 28

Staff was helpful and courteous 0 0 5 7 42

My field trip experience was positive 0 0 17 5 27

I was able to upload my project easily 0 2 3 9 40

I would participate again next year 0 0 5 7 42

If I could change one thing about BC Green Games, it would be...

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“To align it with the new BC science curriculum, i.e. put together a unit plan so more teachers can be encouraged to participate.”

“Connecting to other teams to share learning. This has turned out to be one of the most powerful benefits of participation for me as a teacher. Our spot on Global News generated many connections to other educators who have common interests in environmental projects.”

“It would be nice to hear the reasons why winners were chosen, as many students did not understand why certain schools won over others.”

“I don’t like the ‘vote’ system, but I understand it brings people to the website.”

“To make the free field trip more accessible to schools in remote parts of the province (maybe find more local partners such as fish hatcheries, museums, BC Parks, etc.).”

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Something I really like about BC Green Games is...06

“The opportunity for children to visit Science World, especially because my school is an inner-city school. I also love seeing other school’s initiative projects.”

“The positive accomplishments made by other schools; these provide hope and inspire others.”

“The archived projects. It is easy to show other grant agencies your background in creating green projects.”

“Being rewarded (financially and/or through recognition) for good projects.”

“The support and motivation for my students to help the environment. Being from the Interior, the opportunity to win a sleepover at Science World was a big draw!”

“Through co-workers/teachers.”

“Been involved for many years.”

“Email from the school district.”

“Social Media.”

How did you hear about BC Green Games? Here are the top four ways:

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