Awesome Action Awards

2009 Winners

Classes from all around Calgary continue to engage in some amazing stewardship projects. This year, we were inspired by all projects we saw but chose to recognize the following classes with our two action awards: the CPAWS Action Challenge Award (elementary) and the Gareth Thomson Action Award (secondary).

Elementary: CPAWS Action Challenge Award
Deer Run School

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is the motto at Deer Run School. Students and teachers are encouraged to use both sides of paper, turn off the lights when they leave the classroom, recycle juice boxes and pop cans, reduce the amount of garage they throw away and bring objects from home that can be reused in art and various classes. There is a weekly schedule for two classes to go out and collect garbage from the playground and field to help keep the community clean. In an effort to help the environment the students have completed 100 friendly environment projects to be named a Green School through the SEEDS program (Energy, Environment, Education). They are now working towards completing 250 projects to have an Emerald status. The Environment Club students are responsible for recording projects the students do, and for collecting paper and cardboard which is then taken to the recycling depot, as well as promoting and challenging classes to keeping our world a cleaner and healthier place. These students have participated in the Triple Star Recycling program, DC workshops and are a ZooCare Sponsor. Wow Deer Run! Keep up the good work! Congratulations to Mrs. Levine's Grade 4 class on receiving the CPAWS Action Challenge Award!

Secondary: Gareth Thomson Action Award
Banded Peak School

Mr. Churchill’s Grade 7/8 Class is really into wildlife! They recently purchased some wildlife cameras and put them in the forested area next to their school. They are hoping to get some great wildlife photos and along with the GPS units they got, set up a wilderness website for the school. Although it probably won't happen until next year, they are collecting great wildlife shots to share with all the interested people out there, including CPAWS! Congratulations on winning the Gareth Thomson Action Award!

2008 Winners

Classes from all around Calgary continue to engage in some amazing stewardship projects. This year, we were inspired by all projects we saw but chose to recognize the following classes with our two action awards: the CPAWS Action Challenge Award (elementary) and the Gareth Thomson Action Award (secondary).

Elementary: CPAWS Action Challenge Award Award
Penbrooke Meadows Elementary School

All year, Ms. Rauser’s Grade 3/4 class at Penbrooke Meadows has been tackling the question “Can one person really make a difference?” These keen kids have learned that they can! In addition to creating a fantastic action plan and doing some great research posters on endangered species, these students also rallied the school administration into becoming greener. They have produced professionally printed endangered species greeting cards that they are selling to raise money for the World Wildlife Fund … AND the class is working on making an animated movie that will be shown to the entire school to raise awareness about endangered species and other environmental issues. Fantastic job guys!

Secondary: Gareth Thomson Action Award
William Roper Hull School

Jim Thorne and his students at William Roper Hull School are the proud and well-deserved recipients of CPAWS’ 2008 Gareth Thomson Action Challenge Award. Jim and his students at William Roper Hull School are the proud and well-deserved recipients of CPAWS’ 2008 Gareth Thomson Action Challenge Award. Jim and his class grow plants every year to brighten up their classroom and improve air quality, and they also grow tomatoes for the NASA Tomatosphere Space Project. They have made their schoolyard more nature friendly by building and installing birdfeeders and birdhouses. This group has also started up a school vermicomposting program and a stellar recycling initiative. Not only do they recycle paper and bottles but also scrap-metal and motor oil in the tech classes. Through their recycling program, they have fundraised and put the money towards the Mustard Seed, the SPCA and towards adopting a child in Africa. The school’s tech class also helped with prop development for CPAWS’ new water education program. A giant congratulations and thank you to William Roper Hull for all their hard work and initiative!

2007 Award Winners

Elementary: Awesome Action Award
Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha School

Students in Robert Pierce's grade 6 science classes are environmental heroes! For environment week, these creative kids organized a 4R's Fair for the ENTIRE school. With costumes, educational booths and fun games, these 55 students taught other classes about the importance of environmental conservation. As well, these students performed a school energy audit and encouraged litter-free lunches by making announcements over the intercom. And their action didn't stop there! They raised over $200 with a used goods “garage sale”, which they donated to a conservation group of their choice.

Elementary: Honourable Mention
University Elementary School

When students at University Elementary School learned about different endangered species, they were compelled to take some action. The students wrote and starred in a shadow-puppet play about endangered species, which they presented to their parents. Along with the puppet show, these creative students artistically decorated and auctioned off composting and recycling bins, raising over $1000, which they are donating to a local charity. Recognizing that the Alberta grizzly bear population is very low, they chose to write letters to their local MLA and government ministers to protect grizzlies. Click here to read some letters (Acrobat [PDF] file, ~360K). This created a buzz among politicians and the media. Click here to read the news article that appeared in a local paper (Acrobat [PDF] file, ~70K).

Secondary: Gareth Thomson Action Award
Calgary Academy

There is no doubt that the grade seven students at Calgary Academy take their school's motto to REACH (Respect, Enthusiasm, Altruism, Commitment, Honesty) for the best to heart. These students took CPAWS' Action Challenge seriously and planned and accomplished an outstanding environmental action project. After learning about grizzly bears and Calgary's eco-footprint, these students wanted to do their part to help the earth. They organized a major bottle drive and a bake sale to raise funds in support of conservation. Their efforts paid off, with a total of $1800 raised, not to mention the awareness of the entire school that became involved in supporting the event. These students are clearly committed to conservation!

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