Lacombe Composite High School has been recognized as one of the greenest schools in Canada.
Canada Green Building Council announced this week that the Lacombe high school and Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ont. were joint winners in the annual CaGBC Greenest School in Canada competition.
Both schools will receive $1,000 to put toward a new or ongoing sustainability project.
Lacombe’s high school impressed on many fronts.
Over the last 15 years, an EcoVision environmental clubhas raised funds for 32 solar arrays totalling six kilowatts, along with a portable solar array and solar cars for the classroom.
A 12-metre energy-efficient geodesic tropical greenhouse with geothermal heat storage was built at the school, where there are 40 outdoor raised gardens along with 125 fruit trees.
An urban beekeeping program has three hives and the school has been composting 25 kg of organic waste from its kitchen monthly using three thermal composite systems and half a dozen vermi-composite systems.
The school has also undertaken an Adopt a Garden initiative in which the school gets community members to help take care of its gardens over the summer months, and local groups are invited to speak about environmental topics in classes.
“Lacombe Composite High School EcoVision is a club where student leaders plan projects that improve the environment, enhance their educational opportunities and encourage community collaboration,” says Lacombe High School teacher Steven Schultz.
“Educational and environmental innovation like what we’ve demonstrated to receive this honour, is impossible without student leaders that are willing to dream, risk and fail – but try again,” he said.