Newsletter

Okanagan-Columbia Highlights
Debbie Sluggett, Kalon Nahachewsky (Educational Liaisons)
Debbie Bazett ( Forest Education Coordinator, COFI - Southern Operations)

The BC Interior "Environmental Mind Grind" Challenge

Are students in your community up for the EMG challenge? Come out and cheer them on as they compete to showcase their knowledge about the environment!!

The popular school competition, "Environmental Mind Grind" is back once again for 2006, hosted in honour of Earth Day by environmental educators in the North, Central and South Okanagan- Similkameen, Thompson-Nicola and Kootenay regions.

Since its beginnings in 2000, more than 500 teams and thousands of elementary, middle and high school students have participated in this entertaining academic challenge, both at the local regional level championships and at the BC Interior playoffs, usually held in Kelowna.

Invitations and advertising flyers are sent out to each school and distributed to principals and teachers. Teachers who apply for registration are supplied with study packages for each of the environmental areas of study early in the New Year, so that students may prepare for the contest, which takes place in April. The areas of study include: air quality, watershed health, waste reduction, water conservation, endangered species, transportation, energy, conservation and forestry.

Any public or private school may enter one team for each school category, with a team consisting of three student contestants, one back-up student (optional) and a support teacher. There are three school categories: grades 4-6, grades 7-9 and grades 10-12.

Teams participate against one another in single round knockout, with the team having the most points at the end of the game advancing to the next round.

Each team receives participation t-shirts and a bag filled with promotional items provided by the sponsors as well as treat coupons. Other prizes for winning teams include fleece vests, pizza parties for the school or class, ice cream and caps. For the final interior play-off winners, a prize of $1000 cash is available to be won for their school.

If you live in one of the regions mentioned above and would like to find out more about the Environmental Mind Grind competition, contact the Waste Reduction Office at your local Regional District Office or email Tracy Guidi at the City of Kelowna- tguidi@kelowna.ca

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