This new initiative represents the evolution of the organization's long-standing partnership with the National Bank and their strong desire to make a positive impact in the community.
Schools will be invited to apply for a chance to win a landscaping and greening project for their campus this spring. The winning school will not only receive the complete makeover at no cost, but maintenance service for two years after planting as well.
Elementary and secondary schools will be eligible to participate in the Cool Your School! initiative. In addition to the promised physical transformation, the chosen school will be offered an educational and interactive program that will teach students about various environmental issues of concern, as well as concrete ways to mitigate their impact. Most notably, students will be able to participate in the selection of plants used in the greening project.
A committee has been established to select the winning school and ensure that all the competition's eligibility criteria are met, so that the winning project will make a significant difference and have a tangible legacy that will endure over time. Areas that have been disproportionately affected by heat islands compared to greener areas will be given priority during the selection process. For the first year, schools in the West Island of Montreal will be prioritized due to a concentration of eligibility criteria, in addition to being the intervention territory of our partner, GRAME. The territory covered will expand as the program evolves to make a difference in a larger area. Full details regarding the eligibility criteria and submission process for the initiative are available at
canadiens.com/coolyourschool
.
"The National Bank is proud to present the Goal is Green to foster the growth of the program beyond the Bell Centre. These efforts will help spread the positive impact of the program across Quebec. We hope that Cool Your School! will encourage young people to continue to enjoy the physical and mental health benefits of playing outside," said Debby Cordeiro, Senior Vice-President, Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility at the National Bank.
For more information on the entire Goal is Green program presented by the National Bank, please visit
canadiens.com/goalisgreen
.
ABOUT THE GOAL IS GREEN PROGRAM:
The Goal is Green program began in May 2007 and continues to evolve. The Bell Centre is proud to announce its latest Gold certification by LEED Canada. LEED is the benchmark for green building certification. This means that the Bell Centre is a building that reduces its consumption of water, energy, natural resources and the amount of waste it produces in order to reduce its impact on the environment. A special thank you to all the partners of the Goal is Green program: the National Bank, WM and STM. These partners are part of the efforts and concrete actions taken within the Bell Centre to constantly improve our environmental management.
ABOUT GRAME:
GRAME works for a better environment in collaboration with citizens, communities, organizations and governments by intervening in the field, deploying education and awareness programs, and issuing recommendations rooted in the scientific rigor that has characterized it since its creation.
