Photo/Article by TLDSB
The I.E. Weldon Secondary School (IEWSS) Green Advocates are a social and environmental activism team of approximately 30 students. They support social and environmental awareness projects, fundraising initiatives, and help with local charities/non-governmental organizations.
Since the establishment of the team in 2021, they have organized a variety of environmentally focused fundraisers, awareness events, and activity, including:
- A school Change for Change Fundraiser where they raised over $600 to plant trees on the school’s property through the Canopy Project in Kawartha Lakes.
- The establishment of a school recycling program and an awareness campaign to educate students on the City of Kawartha Lakes recycling system.
- Participation in an annual garbage clean-up around the school property – once in the spring and once in the fall.
- The organization of three successful fundraisers for environmental causes: two bake sales that raised over $400 for the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (OTCC), and one bake sale that raised just under $200 for Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB).
- The creation of a secondary school Sock Cup Challenge, where three local secondary schools competed against each other to see who could bring in the most donations of new and clean used socks to eliminate the need for new materials. In total, the team helped keep over 6,000 socks from going to the landfill.
In the 2023-24 school year, the Green Advocates made a close connection with the Kawartha chapter of Seniors for Climate Action Now! (SCAN!-Kawartha). The group has since helped the students with ideas to promote a more sustainable world with fewer carbon dioxide emissions, such as a letter writing campaign to local City of Kawartha Lakes councilors regarding the implementation of Healthy Environment Plan that was created in 2018.
On October 1, SCAN!-Kawartha organized the second Climate Change Rally to support seniors who want to ensure a positive future for the next generation. The group invited the Green Advocates to take part. Students created signs and even had the opportunity to provide their point of view through the team’s student leaders, Leah Roxborough and Sage Stapleton. Students all had the pleasure of meeting the Green Party’s provincial leader, Mike Schreiner.
Follow the Green Advocates on Instagram at @weldonsgreenadvocates to see more projects and initiatives they are working on throughout the school year.