Grade 12 Sustainability Students Making the World a Better Place

Jessamyn Polson English and Humanities, Environmental Stewardship

 

Sustainability is all about living comfortably in our world while using resources responsibly so that future generations can do the same. Unfortunately, our world isn’t always a sustainable place—but our Grade 12 Living in a Sustainable World students tackled the challenge with creative workshops covering urban biodiversity, native species, and ways to protect local ecosystems.

Without further ado, let’s dig into the workshops!

Seekers

By J.P.

This workshop explored biodiversity in the city. “Biodiversity” might sound complex, but it simply refers to the wide variety of species that share an ecosystem—including urban spaces! To prove this, J.P. introduced students to the Seek app by iNaturalist, which helps users identify plants and animals using their phone cameras. Participants then headed to the park across the street with a scavenger hunt checklist, finding up to 10 different species—despite the winter weather!

Daybreak

By S.R.

S.R. introduced students to Daybreak, a unique, collaborative board game about sustainability. Unlike competitive games, this one challenged players to work together to meet the needs of their assigned countries while staying carbon-neutral. The workshop’s goals were to introduce students to sustainability-focused games and highlight both the obstacles and innovative solutions in creating a greener world.

City Safari

By F.A-L.

F.A-L. led a workshop on how species in the city are interconnected, focusing on the relationship between rats—a species subsidized by humans—and their predators, hawks. The inspiration? A red-tailed hawk that frequently perches on a tree across the street! Through an engaging presentation, F.A-L. demonstrated how every species plays a role in the urban ecosystem and emphasized the importance of respecting and protecting our shared environment.

Seed Dumplings

By M.R.

M.R. focused on biodiversity by teaching participants about Ontario wildflowers and how to make seed dumplings—small, biodegradable balls containing native plant seeds. These can be scattered in garden plots around the city to promote local plant growth. The workshop highlighted how even small, simple actions—like planting native species—can have a positive environmental impact.

Bruce’s Clothing Swap

By B.K.

B.K. tackled textile waste by organizing a school-wide clothing swap. Students brought in unwanted clothes and traded them for new-to-them items-for free! B.K. who is interested in fashion, shared with students how clothing waste contributes to landfills and environmental problems, and encouraged students to think about sustainable fashion choices. The event was such a success that students are already asking for it to become an annual tradition!

Gourmet Today and Tomorrow

By R. T., L. B., and J. I.

This workshop combined cooking skills, food insecurity awareness, and waste reduction. Students gathered in the Orange Room, where J.I. talked about how learning how to cook can help reduce food waste. Then participants split into groups to make pancakes. While pancakes cooked, R. led a discussion on food insecurity, a growing problem in Toronto, and talked about how cooking skills can help people eat more nutritiously and affordably. L. then explained how to properly recycle and dispose of food waste. The workshop highlighted both the social and environmental aspects of sustainability—all while making (and enjoying) a delicious snack!

City Chicks

By E.R. and M.T.

E.R. and M.T. led a hands-on workshop to help prevent bird-window collisions—a major cause of bird deaths in urban areas. Students made paper bird cutouts to stick on windows, a simple but effective way to alert birds and keep them from flying into glass. E.R. focused on the role birds play in urban ecosystems, while M.T. emphasized practical ways to protect them. The goal is to fill the windows with colorful bird silhouettes—a creative and impactful step toward making the city safer for wildlife.

Our World Today and Tomorrow was an assembly that was both fun and meaningful, offering students a chance to learn about sustainability through hands-on activities. 

On behalf of the entire Living in a Sustainable World class, thank you to everyone who participated and supported our workshops—it made all our planning and hard work worthwhile!

Sustainable Suggestions from the Grade 12s!

  • Pay attention to the plants and animals in the city. It’s cool, and it helps shift our mindset about what a city is. A city is an ecosystem!
  • Participate in citizen science! Using Seek by inaturalist is a cool way to contribute to an open database of information on plants and animals around you. Scientists use the data for their studies too so you are helping them out!
  • Plant native plants! Especially Milkweed, the Monarchs love Milkweed and Monarchs are very cool and weird.
  • Are you building things in the city, or renovating? Use bird-safe glass to protect our migratory birds!
  • Keep your eye out for our city’s population of Peregrine Falcons and Red Tailed Hawks because they are cool! But birder beware – you may see a pigeon disembowlment. 
  • Cooking cuts food waste, and it’s fun! 
  • Advocate for a national food insecurity policy. Food banks can’t keep up with the need right now and a lot of people are suffering.
  • Did you know we can’t recycle black plastic in the city? But did you know that now we can recycle reusable coffee cups and lids?! Use Waste Wizard to make sure you are recycling everything you can!
  • Play sustainable games like Daybreak, and Pandemic, and Rain World – they are fun and creative and hopeful!

Team Unbreakable Bold and Cold 5K

Jessamyn Polson Community, Events, Student Spotlight

On November 30, the YMCA Academy Run Club, joined by friends and family (and even Tim!), participated in the Team Unbreakable Bold and Cold 5K.

Running 5 kilometers is no small feat, especially outdoors at the end of November! We are incredibly proud of our achievement and thrilled to have raised over $3,000 for Team Unbreakable, an organization dedicated to supporting youth mental health through physical activity.

The YMCA Run Club will be going into hibernation for the next few weeks. We’re grateful for the beautiful weather we enjoyed this session, and, like the trees around us, we look forward to shifting our energy inward and resting during this festive and busy season. Run Club will return in February—stay tuned for updates!

CONGRATULATIONS, RUNNERS!

Civics in Action

Jessamyn Polson Events

As the Civics and Citizenship course comes to a close, students have been reflecting on memorable moments and activities from the course.

One of the most memorable activities was an election simulation where students formed political parties, wrote platforms, and ran campaigns. Along the way, students learned every part of the electoral process, from identifying their own political beliefs to marking a ballot correctly. As one student reflected, “It’s important for me to learn how to vote because I am 15 now, and in a few years, I’ll have the responsibility to vote.” Through this project, students also practiced communication skills like deliberating effectively, collaborating within their parties, and graciously accepting election results.

Another course highlight was our visit to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, where we met Kristyn Wong-Tam, MPP for Toronto Centre. (Fun fact: Kristyn Wong-Tam was instrumental in the creation of our beloved Dr. Lillian McGregor Park across the street!) A memorable part of our field trip was sitting in the gallery while the House was in session, watching MPPs conduct their official business. Inspired by what they saw, students brought some of the issues discussed on the floor back to class for our own debates. Everyone, including teachers, had to hand in their phones for the duration of the field trip, and an unexpected lesson was that students realized they could go without their phones for an entire hour and a half!

As the Civics and Citizenship course comes to a close, students have been reflecting on memorable moments and activities from the course.
Students with Kristyn Wong-Tam

Finally, students practiced making their voices heard by providing feedback on the municipal budget and creating petitions about issues they care about. One student shared, “Making my petition was so fun and heartwarming. Getting teachers’ and family members’ support for harm reduction policies made me feel so validated and like I was doing good for my province.” Students enjoyed the chance to engage in civic action and practiced the art of perspective-taking and relating to one another with understanding.

Exploring Ecosystems through Experiential Learning

Jessamyn Polson Experiential Learning, Science and Math

It is my privilege to be teaching a grade 12 geography class called Living in a Sustainable World (CGR4E/M) this semester, and we have had a busy month! Here is a recap of what and how we have been learning about Species and Spaces, and exploring the challenges and wonders of ecosystems, conservation, and the impact humans have on the environment.

We started by building water filters to explore the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation. Students learned about an ancient water purification system from the Nile Region called a Kilga, built gravity based water filtration systems, and connected their learning to the Elevated Wetlands Sculptures by Noah Harding that contribute to the restoration of the Don River ecosystem. By testing their designs, they gained a firsthand look at the challenges of accessing clean water and the innovative solutions needed to ensure water quality for all.

Next, students explored the biotic and abiotic factors that influence ecosystems by hatching brine shrimp. They monitored salinity, water clarity, hatching rates, and temperature, collecting valuable data to understand how environmental conditions affect living organisms. We then moved on to creating self-sustaining terrariums. Students built mini ecosystems with drainage layers, moss, plants, and small invertebrates like pill bugs and springtails. These terrariums provided a tangible way to observe the balance and interconnectedness required to maintain healthy environments.

A highlight of the unit has been a visit from a Scientist at Large, from the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change Canada. Wildlife biologist Jennifer Thompson visited us in person and spoke about species at risk and the importance of indicator and umbrella species in monitoring ecosystem health.

To bring all these concepts together, our students created a collaborative map highlighting endangered species and ecosystem conservation efforts, emphasizing Indigenous stewardship. This project not only taught students about biodiversity and conservation but also highlighted the people who are on the frontlines of ecosystem defense and conservation globally: Indigenous people.

There were hiccups and challenges along the way (RIP our first brine shrimp hatchlings) but through these activities we collectively developed critical thinking and problem-solving skills while learning to become responsible stewards of our planet.