Are You Ready for
the Great Waters Challenge?

The Great Waters Challenge has ended for the 2018/19 school year!
Consider joining the Great Canoe Journey school program.
Great Waters Challenge raises the awareness and capacity of youth to better steward and protect our waters.

Are You Ready for
the Great Waters Challenge?

The Great Waters Challenge has ended for the 2018/19 school year!
Consider joining the Great Canoe Journey school program.
Great Waters Challenge raises the awareness and capacity of youth to better steward and protect our waters.

The Great Waters Challenge will focus on British Columbia in Fall 2018.

Participate from other Provinces or Territories:

Find out about Great Waters Challenge public webinars in Fall 2018.

(Please note that workshops will only take place in BC classrooms and prizes will only be award in BC).

Receive the downloadable self-directed Great Waters Challenge Teacher Tool-Kit in Fall 2018.

Learn about other Waterlution school programs and opportunities across Canada.

Curious about the Great Waters Challenge?

The Great Waters Challenge (GWC) will guide young Canadians  (grades 3-12 & youth groups such as scouts, girl guides or eco-clubs for age 8-18)  to uncover and celebrate water stories in their communities. These stories will be showcased online, to make visible how water connects us all across our communities. The Waterlution team and its British Columbian Youth Advisory Board will support the BC participants throughout the challenge with activities, workshops and webinars to elevate their skillset and spark their curiosity!

The Great Waters Challenge Timeline

The Great Waters Challenge BC
is running from October 15 - December 21, 2018

Monday October 15th, 2018 at 9:30 AM PT

Classes attend a group welcome webinar to meet other teams and knowledgeable youth advisors.

Registered classes receive two challenge activities that help you explore water throughout the program!

Activity 1 “A challenge with my water” 

Teams introduce themselves and choose a water issue or topic in their area that they might like focus on or learn more about throughout the program

Activity 2 “A challenge with my community”

This challenge will invite teams to discover new information about their watershed through research, interviews and by spending time outdoors in their watershed

November 2018

Water Action & Celebration Workshops and Webinars – Workshops and online webinar are lead by our knowledgeable youth advisors. The workshop reviews activity 1 and 2 and empowers students to plan and host a water celebration or action-day. This gives students the opportunity to take charge, plan and lead an educational water event!

December 2018

Students lead Water Celebrations and Action-days

Monday December 17th, 2018 at 9:30AM PT

Closing knowledge sharing webinar.

Friday December 21st, 2018

Submit a short summary and photos/video of your event for a chance to win prizes!

Winners Announced and Prizes awarded by January 15th, 2019!

Ready To Register Your British Columbian School Team or Club?

Join now and:

  • Access our curriculum linked resources
  • Access content that invites youth to take their learning out into their community and make science, technology, society and the environment (STSE) connections using the Great Waters Challenge for Schools & Teams.
  • Access direct support from Waterlution’s Youth Advisory Board and the Great Waters Challenge Team.
  • Join a support community on Facebook and connect with other teachers/educators.

Partner & Awards

Youth Leaders in Action - Platinum Sponsor

Youth Leaders in Action - Silver Sponsor

School Prize Sponsors

Prize: 2X Field Trips including (admission to the Vancouver Aquarium and a 4-D film experience)
Value: $480 each
Eligible Locations: Schools in Metro Vancouver or the Sea to Sky Region

Prize: 1X Class set of surprise swag
Value: TBA
Eligible Locations: Schools in the Columbia Basin

Prize: 2X Environmental Stewardship Fieldtrip
Value: $335 each
Eligible Locations: Schools in Metro Vancouver or the Sea to Sky Region

Prize: 1X Beaty Box Rental: Seashore Kit
Value: $75
Eligible Locations: Schools in Metro Vancouver

Prize: 2 x Self-guided field trip
Value: $150 each
Eligible Locations:  Schools near Victoria

Prize: Self-guided Field Trip
Value: $225
Eligible Locations: Schools near Victoria

Prize: 8 x class licenses for iBiome-Ocean: School Edition a game where students to build virtual bio domes, learn 62 marine species and 4 unique oceanic ecosystems and understand how we can help.
Value: $90 per class set 

Eligible Locations: Anywhere in BC!

Prize: Mini Freshwater Testing Kit
Value: $120
Eligible Locations:  Anywhere in BC!

Many thanks to our network partners in BC who are helping promote the Great Waters Challenge program!

Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication, Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society, Central Kootenay Invasive Species Society, Living Lakes Canada, Nelson Youth Action Network, Surrey Schools SD36, BC Water & Waste Association, Stanley Park Ecology Society, BC Lake Stewardship Society, Hakai Institute, Fraser Basin Council and Beaty Biodiversity Museum.

Join our Future Water Leaders network to be first to hear about youth volunteer opportunities!

Meet Our Volunteer GWC Youth Advisory Board from 2018-2019!