Archives: Great Waters Challenge

“Participating in the Great Waters Challenge taught us many things about our local water systems and the relationship that Indigenous Peoples of our area have had with water.  Learning about the challenges that our global water systems face, students felt compelled to take action! We started an initiative at our school to reduce the use of single use plastics through educating our community and providing alternatives.  The Great Waters Challenge was a spring board that took our learning on an exciting journey and helped us each develop as social activists and global citizens.”

“One thing we as a class noticed while reading the blogs is that water is important to everyone – whether you live in a big city like Toronto, or a small town like Gjoa Haven! A lot of water related geological features have first nation names as water was also very important to our ancestors’ way of life.  This challenge has made us more aware of water related issue throughout our country.”

“Taking part in the Great Water Challenge has been a great experience for our class. We have gained a better understanding of how important it is to learn about the heritage and history of our waterway and how it has changed over time. We realize how vitally important it is to be stewards of our watershed, our lakes, our streams – our home. We have hope for the future but know that we need to actively be part of the solution.”

“The students are sponges, who want to learn, who want to share, and who want to be seen as stewards of the water. We take care of salmon, we grow micro greens, we preserve water, and we will teach our primary Grade 2 class about this project in January! Thanks for the opportunity to learn with all the adults and high school students. We had fun. We look forward to talking with the Gjoa Haven students this month!”