ABOUT THIS GUIDE

The TDSB has been engaged in actions to address climate change since 2000. 

Nearly 20 years ago, the TDSB recognized the urgency of the climate crisis and created the EcoSchools program to inspire youth to take action. Since that time, thousands of TDSB students have engaged in climate action initiatives to help their schools and communities address the fundamental environmental issues of our time. The EcoSchools program is open to all TDSB schools and provides access to resources, professional development and other supports to help school communities take environmental and climate action. 

The TDSB approved its first Climate Action Plan in 2010, establishing a plan to put in action the TDSB’s commitment to sustaining the environment, focusing on mitigation, adaptation, and education.  

In 2017, Toronto’s City Council approved TransformTO , an ambitious climate action strategy, establishing long-term, low-carbon goals and strategies to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions, grow the economy, and improve human health and social equity within the City of Toronto. Toronto City council declared a climate emergency in October 2019. This declaration was endorsed by the TDSB's Board of Trustees in December 2019. 

The Youth Climate Action Guide can be used for a variety of purposes including:

School Club Initiatives: Any school club can use this guide to develop and implement school and community climate action as an extracurricular activity.

Class Assignments: This guide can be used as a resource to inspire a community climate action project students might do as a class assignment (group or individual), or to provide supporting evidence for assignments.

Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) projects: The TDSB offers several SHSM programs for students who want to specialize their learning on a particular economic sector.  More information about TDSB SHSM programs can be found on the TDSB Specialized High Skills Major webpage. Students can use this guide to enrich their learning and gain new insights into environmental issues.

Community Involvement Hours:  In many cases, planning and implementing community climate actions can count towards the community involvement hours Ontario students need to graduate from secondary school.  Actions could include planning and implementing events or projects, or joining a campaign or action being led by a school club or community partner. For more information, refer to the TDSB Community Involvement webpage. 

Curriculum Integration by Educators: Although this guide is primarily for youth, it can also be used by educators as a resource to integrate climate learning and action into the curriculum.  The Educator Resources included in this guide explain why and how climate action should be integrated into teaching and learning.  It would certainly help if students draw their teacher’s attention to this guide and ask them to make time for climate action in class!