NIAGARA CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
Niagara Catholic Schools Receive 100 Percent EcoSchools Certification

The Niagara Catholic District School Board is pleased to announce that every Niagara Catholic school participated in the Ontario EcoSchools Program in 2023-2024, and we had 100 percent certification. The good news was shared with trustees during the June 18 Board Meeting, the final meeting scheduled for the 2023-2024 school year.

Niagara Catholic has been a leader in EcoSchools certification for more than a decade. We were the first school board to have all schools certified in 2010 and maintained 100 percent participation and certification for 10 years, until the pandemic school year of 2019-2020.

We are extremely happy to note that this year, 21 Niagara Catholic elementary and secondary schools obtained EcoSchools Platinum Certification (a record for Niagara Catholic), 33 schools earned Gold Certification (also a record), one school received Silver Certification, and one school obtained a Bronze Certification. A complete list of schools and certifications is in the attached graphic.

"I am exceptionally proud of the commitment our students and staff have to our shared responsibility for environmental stewardship," said Camillo Cipriano, Director of Education. "Stewardship is one of our core values embedded into our Strategic Plan, and it is evident that our students take Pope Francis's call to action on our environment very seriously. I applaud everyone for achieving this outstanding certification, but I am even more pleased to see students today taking such great steps to make the earth a better place for their children and grandchildren."

Chair of the Board Danny Di Lorenzo also praised students and staff.

"I am always impressed by the willingness of our students and staff to look beyond themselves and to work for the improvement of the lives of their friends and neighbours," said Chair Di Lorenzo. "In the case of the excellent work being done in our schools to reduce waste and focus on stewardship and sustainability, this is also something that will affect their own children and grandchildren. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, congratulations to everyone involved, from the students and teachers to our central level staff who support EcoSchools, for your excellent participation and initiatives. We are all very proud of you."

Fast facts

• 1,253 students were part of an EcoTeam in 2023-2024 Niagara Catholic diverted an average of 2,195 kilograms of waste from landfills per school
• 851 eco-friendly actions were completed by Niagara Catholic students
• 32,715 hours of learning took place outdoors during the 2023-2024 school year