By Kezia Royer-Burkett, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Halton District School Board (HDSB) has reached a major environmental milestone, with every elementary and secondary school participating in the EcoSchools Canada program during the 2025–2026 school year.
For the first time, all 105 HDSB schools registered and submitted an EcoSchools Action Plan, demonstrating a board-wide commitment to environmental education, sustainability, and climate action. Participation increased from 81 schools in the previous school year to full participation across the district.
Ninety schools earned EcoSchools certification, including 28 platinum, 43 gold, 10 silver, and nine bronze certifications. An additional 15 schools were recognized as participants in the program.
Throughout the school year, students and staff completed more than 1,700 environmental actions, led 697 school-wide initiatives, recorded more than 41,800 hours of outdoor learning, diverted 254,100 kilograms of waste from landfill, planted 1,500 trees, and helped sequester more than 288 tonnes of carbon dioxide through greening initiatives.
The achievement follows the opening of the HDSB Environmental Leadership Learning Centre at Burlington’s Alexander’s Public School in April, a new space designed to support environmental and global citizenship through collaboration, creativity, and hands-on learning.
EcoSchools Canada is a free certification program for publicly funded elementary and secondary schools that helps educators integrate environmental learning into classrooms while encouraging practical actions that reduce waste, conserve energy, and promote sustainability. The framework supports learning across a variety of subjects, including science, mathematics, history, health and physical education, the arts and languages.
“Reaching 100% participation across the HDSB reflects an exceptional board-wide commitment to building a culture of sustainability,” said Curtis Ennis, chief executive officer of the Halton District School Board. “By embedding environmental responsibility into learning experiences across our schools, students are developing critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills while making a meaningful impact in their communities. We are incredibly proud of every student, educator, and staff member who contributed to this milestone.”
Sierra Frank, co-executive director of EcoSchools Canada, congratulated the board on the achievement, calling it a reflection of the HDSB community’s commitment to sustainability and leadership in environmental education.
The board says it hopes to build on this momentum in the coming school year as schools continue to expand environmental learning opportunities and climate action initiatives across Halton.
