Catholic students across the city will participate in special candlelight vigils, liturgical celebrations, assemblies and lights-out activities in their classrooms this week as part of Earth Hour.
"The Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) continues to encourage innovative environmental conservation programs. Earth Hour is an opportunity to instill the importance of protecting the environment in our students," board Chair Ann Andrachuk said in a statement.From 10 to 11 a.m. on Friday, March 25, Toronto's Catholic schools and board offices will turn off their lights where it is safe to do so. Arrangements have also been made to turn off all non-essential lighting across the TCDSB on March 26 for the Global Earth Hour initiative between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. Schools have been provided with a variety of resources in preparation for the Earth Hour event, including information posters, a fact sheet and appropriate prayers. Director of Education Ann Perron lauded in the school initiative as a "very tangible way" to focus the board's attention on the environment and help to transform that global message into a meaningful learning experience for the board's 93,000 students."Although this is but one hour during one specific day, we know that our school communities dedicate themselves year round to environmental issues," she said in a statement. "Last year 53 of our schools were certified as EcoSchools for their year-round commitment to environmental projects. "We are also very proud of the commitment of our students and their families in supporting our board-wide waste free lunch program that was introduced in our elementary schools in September. Through these and other initiatives, we are inspired to become better Stewards of the Earth."