Dewdney Elementary School has been awarded $25,000 worth of new technology from the Staples Canada’s Superpower Your School Contest, in collaboration with Earth Day Canada.
The announcement was made at a surprise assembly on Tuesday morning. Students were gathered in the gymnasium, thinking they were going to be a top 10 finalist in the contest. However, it was revealed that the school of 100 students won the top prize.
According to the press release, Dewdney Elementary was selected for its outstanding sustainability efforts and environmental initiatives.
Nearly 630 schools across the country entered by submitting what initiatives they had implemented to help save the planet. Dewdney is one of 10 schools across the country being recognized, each receiving $25,000 worth of new technology.
Judges of the contest noted that Dewdney Elementary school weaves environmental responsibility into everyday learning through the establishment of its innovative Community Outdoor Recreation and Environment program (CORE).
Through this program, students are outdoors and engaged in several areas of learning including knowledge of traditional and cultural uses of indigenous plants, investigation of our natural habitats, exploration of our watershed, study of weather patterns and climate change and installation of an alternative energy source (wind turbine).
Grandparents, community members and parents share in a collective gardening experience and planting of trees, flowers, shrubs and food.
Several businesses, surrounding farms, community groups, families and volunteers joined together to create an outdoor classroom space known as the DEN (Dewdney Educational Naturescape) complete with a shelter, shade trees, swale, log play, espaliered apple grove and corn maze.