Our Current Programs

Trash Tracker is a one day hands-on program where the class audits one day of school waste and create a waste management plan for their school.

Goal: improve understanding of the different types of waste and how youth can make a waste impact.

Themes:

• Climate Literacy
• STEAM skills

Program breakdown:

1) Teachers are provided with a letter to give to the janitorial staff in advance to ensure that the school’s garbage from the previous day is collected for the audit.

2) The Gaia Project leads a waste audit that covers:

A: Sorting and categorizing of waste

B: Weigh each type of waste

C:  Clean up

3) The Gaia Project inputs data to generate graphics to discuss with students

4)  Based on the data collected, with help from the Gaia Project, students develop a school-wide waste strategy

Curriculum Links: 3, 4, & 5 science

• Ask scientific questions
• Observe, question, and explore
• Working collaboratively

Goal: introduce students to energy generation and green careers through a narrative about energy use in a community

Themes:

• Energy Literacy
• Climate Literacy
• STEAM skills
• Career Planning

Program Description

1) Terms for word bank sent to teacher in advance

2) Energy related story book read to students by Gaia staff

3) Students are put into groups to represent various green careers

4) Gaia staff leads storyboard about energy use in a community

5) Throughout the story, each group of students will have a hands-on task based on their green career

6) Teacher will be left with resources to continue the conversation and follow up activities

The Gaia Project’s Energy Detective provides the opportunity to measure the electricity needed to power various devices in and around the school by using meters and other hands-on tools.

Goal:  providing an inquiry-based experience and discussion around energy use at school.

Themes:

• Energy Literacy
• Climate Literacy
• STEAM skills
• Career Planning

Program breakdown:

1) The Gaia Project leads a presentation on  renewable energy, peak hours, smart grids, and current provincial energy consumption

2) In groups, the class is asked to come up with a scientific question relating to energy consumption in their school. 

3) Using specialized equipment provided by The Gaia Project, the groups collect and analyze data related to their question.

4) Each group creates an energy management plan for their school. The Gaia Project then follows up with the teachers and gives each school a poster of their completed energy audit that includes tips to reduce energy consumption.

Curriculum Links:

• Grade 6 science- electricity
• Grade 7 science- heat
• Grade 8 science- optics, fluids, water systems

The Energizing Lab consists of three sessions in which students are guided through an experiential learning program focused on the energy grid of New Brunswick, renewable energy opportunities of today (and tomorrow), and energy efficiency.

Goal: provide a hands-on learning experience to inspire smart energy habits and prepare youth for a more sustainable energy future

Themes:

• Energy Literacy
• Climate Literacy
• STEAM skills
• Career Planning

Program Breakdown

Session 1: Activity during which the class works in teams to generate electricity using different small hands-on stations (i.e. hydro, wind, solar, nuclear, coal and oil) and receive energy units for it. They then distribute these units through a grid system to supply buildings requiring different levels of energy at the end. This session explores the pros and cons of renewable and non-renewable resources, energy production capacity based on type of fuel, the time-of-day factor, and energy requirement based on the type of building.

A – Hydroelectric Dam: generate hydroelectricity using water and equipment provided.

B – Wind Turbine: generate electricity from wind by blowing air on a small windmill model using a manual air blower.

C – Thermal Power Plants (nuclear and fossil fuels): generate electricity from a small model of a steam thermal power plant.

D – PV Solar panel: generate electricity from a small electric solar module using a lamp as a source of light.

E – Last resource fossil fuels: if running out of time to gather enough energy units for the buildings, students have the option to go get more from an extra station called the “Peaking Fossil Fuels Power Plant”.

Session 2: Introduction to energy forms and conversion, electricity production in New Brunswick and current challenges through discussion about the activity of session 1. The Gaia Program facilitator leads an interactive debriefing session. Ending the session with two stations: a bicycle generator and an energy efficiency interactive station.

Session 3: This last session, led by the teacher (with the help of a lesson plan provided by Gaia), is designed to answer questions like “What did we learn?” and “What is the role of humans in this story?” Students have the opportunity to share their thoughts on climate change and energy based on their experience with the first two sessions.  A trivia game will be used to encourage participation.

The Gaia Project’s Electrify your Ride is an outdoor, experiential program exposing students to an electric vehicle. The class leaves the program with a new knowledge of electric vehicles and how the electrification of transportation can play an important role into the future of New Brunswick.

Goal: increase understanding of the role of electric vehicles in smart grids, energy storage, and effective climate change solutions in New Brunswick.

Themes:

• Energy Literacy
• Climate Literacy
• Career Planning

Program Breakdown:

1) Introduction to electric vehicles and the various technologies involved in a smart-grid future for New Brunswick.  The class learns about the existing infrastructure and what the province will need in the future.

2) Groups are brought outside for a short ride in the back seat of an electric vehicle on school grounds. When not out at the car with their group, they are in the classroom working on a questionnaire with support material.

3) A follow-up email is sent to teachers with a link to our “Electricity Generation in New Brunswick” playlist on YouTube to support electricity curriculum outcomes.

Curriculum Links

• Grade 9 science- characteristics of electricity
• Grade 10 science- sustainability of ecosystems
• Grade 10-12 environmental science

The Gaia Project’s Sustainability in Action program is a multi visit program (3-5 weeks) that presents the opportunity to take a critical look at your school’s current level of sustainability.

Goal: empower youth to take action at school and home on sustainability issues through data-based decisions

Themes:

• Energy Literacy
• Climate Literacy
• STEAM skills
• Career Planning

Program Breakdown:

1) Initial presentation relating to program expectations and climate change is given to the class by the Program Delivery Officer.

2) In groups, the class works to tackle a sustainability issue that their school is currently facing.

3) The Program Delivery Officer helps in monitoring and tracking the sustainability issue. Results are obtained and calculated by the students.

4) Each group presents on their findings to share their discoveries regarding sustainability at their school. Emphasis is placed on how they can take concrete action with new insights into their school’s sustainability.

5) Students take action on their topic and make changes around the school where possible

Curriculum Outcomes:

• Grade 9 science- electricity
• Grade 10 science- skills:motion, sustainability of ecosystems
• Environmental Science: air and water pollution, climate change, energy resources, and current environmental issues