Sussex Middle School
Students at Sussex Middle School in New Brunswick are championing climate action in their community by building a greenhouse to provide food for the breakfast club.
Sussex Middle School
Students at Sussex Middle School in New Brunswick are championing climate action in their community by building a greenhouse to provide food for the breakfast club.
The Problem
Food scarcity and sovereignty are issues across the country, including in rural communities. More and more youth are using food banks and school-run breakfast clubs are often an important way young people can access healthy food. However, for true food sovereignty to happen, it’s important that youth themselves are involved in creating and running these programs.
The Solution
Students from the Earthlings Climate Club at Sussex Middle School in New Brunswick wanted to do something to help and so decided to build a greenhouse with a local contractor. This was the club’s first big climate action project and they hoped to raise awareness in their school community, both about the issues of the climate crisis and the solutions! The students believe building the greenhouse is an important part of that, by having a building dedicated to a solution prominently part of their school’s complex. They have been growing food for their school’s breakfast club and hope to expand to providing produce to the cafeteria and local food banks.
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students and teachers made up the Earthlings Club working on the project!
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other students were engaged in their school and were featured in a local paper that helped raise awareness of local climate solutions with 3,300 community members.
Lessons Learned
“Without Net-Zero and their team seeing our vision and acknowledging our passion for sustainable education, this project would not have been possible. Big projects like these just aren't possible on rural school budgets alone, so we really do appreciate being chosen for funding. Thank you!”
Jenna Bateman, Teacher Lead
"Physical hands on is definitely what I learn through mostly, and I feel like we should do more hands on because it's way easier to learn"
Lyla, Earthlings Club Student Lead
