Ecomentors

program handbook

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Contents

Contents
3

Welcome TO EcoMentors

section 1: All About Ecomentors

Section 2: EcoMentors certification

10

Section 3: Teaching & Facilitation tips

21

section 4: Environmental education resources

23

thats all folks!

24

Appendix A: Suggested resources

25

appendix b: Ecomentors professional code of conduct

26

current sponsors

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Welcome to
ecomentors!

Welcome to
ecomentors

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Hello there!
Welcome to the EcoMentors Program, we provide training, support
and rewards for youth volunteers to deliver environmental education
activities to groups of young Canadians.
Youth gain valuable work skills
and experience, fulfill volunteer
requirements, explore career
choices and get a cool reward
package! The groups of peers and
young people that you work with
will receive fun, informative and
engaging lessons, activities and
workshops dealing with important
environmental topics and issues.

This Program Handbook will help

you to understand the ins and
outs of the EcoMentors program.
It will prepare you to work with
various groups of young people
and guide you through the design
of your own environment themed
activities.

If your goal is to work in solidarity with

other young Canadians to increase
awareness and positive action around
environmental issues Then youve
chosen the right program!

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SECTION 1:
all about
ecomentors

Section 1:

ALL about
ecomentors
1.1

What is
EcoMentors?

Earth Day Canadas EcoMentors program trains youth from across the
country to deliver environmentfocused workshops, lessons, activities,
and games to their peers and groups of other young people in schools
and other community settings with the goal of raising awareness and
encouraging positive action around a wide range of environmental issues.
EcoMentor youth gain valuable skills and experience, fulfill volunteer
requirements, explore career choices and get cool rewards! The groups
of peers and young people that EcoMentors work with benefit from an
energetic, enthusiastic young mentor to provide input, guidance and
assistance in the exploration of environmental topics. The EcoMentors
program also creates an opportunity for unique relationships to grow
between different groups of people including youth, children, educators,
and community service providers.

1.2

What will I
be doing?

As an EcoMentor, you will work directly with groups of Canadian youth

and childrenwherever they might be; in schools, environmental clubs,
youth groups, community organizations, afterschool programs, etc. You
will be planning and facilitating environmental workshops, lessons, and
activities. For example, you could take
participants outside on an exploration of the natural areas near in their
community, or facilitate a debate exploring different perspectives on a
controversial environmental issue.

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You could work with a youth group on planning a community project like
a community waste exchange, shoreline clean-up, or anti-idling campaign.
Scientific investigations, role-plays, artwork and creative writing, building environmental technologies, or conducting research are all possible
activities that you may be involved in. The activities that you facilitate
depend entirely on a combination of your own interests and passions, and
the needs of the groups that you work with. You will work in collaboration
with the groups leaders (e.g. teachers, youth program staff, etc.) and/or
members of the group to identify the groups specific needs and to make
arrangements for your visits. The EcoMentors website (www.ecomentors.
ca) and other program resources will help you to plan and prepare for
your activities.
At the core of the EcoMentors program is a dedication to peer-led
popular education (education delivered for and by people with a common characteristic in this case, young Canadians). Key to this philosophy is an understanding that learning is not just the handing down of
information or knowledge from an expert or teacher, but also the
sharing of information and personal experiences between peers. To this
end, EcoMentors are trained to act as facilitators of knowledge sharing
rather than presenters of things they know. As an EcoMentor its not
your responsibility to have all the answers in every situation. It is important that youre knowledgeable and well prepared in talking about the
issues that you are addressing, however, your focus should be much more
on getting the participants to share what they already know and help
them to draw new connections to other concepts.

A Note for
High School Students
If youre a high school student you
may be required to complete a certain
number of community service or
volunteer hours. You may be able to
count the time you spend EcoMentoring with groups of young people
toward this type of requirement.
Please double check with a teacher or
someone at your school to make sure.

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SECTION 1:
all about
ecomentors

What should i expect

from the program

The EcoMentors program is designed to give Canadian youth an opportunity to actively participate in positive environmental action through
peer education. By taking part in the program you will be contributing
to a critical part of the larger national and global movement to positively
impact the environment that we all live in.
As an EcoMentor you will also benefit from incredibly rewarding
training and hands-on experiences that will help you to develop and
practice valuable skills that will come in handy in the future, at school,
at work, and in many other areas of your life.
EcoMentors who complete a minimum of four EcoMentoring visits
(i.e. workshops/lessons/activities with host groups), are eligible to
receive official EcoMentors Certification (which always looks good on a
resume and on your wall at home!) as well as cool rewards and merchandise, and even more opportunities to take part in other aspects of
the program (like special events, focus groups, Earth Day activities, additional training, and other mentoring opportunities). Also, high school
students who are required to complete volunteer or community involvement hours may be able to do so by participating as an EcoMentors
Check with a teacher or contact the EcoMentors Program Manager for
more info.

Some of the transferable skills include :

Group facilitation and
leadership
Public speaking and
presentations
Time management and
organization
Educational activities/
workshop planning
and delivery
and so much more!

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SECTION 1:
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Whos involved:
roles and Responsibilities

There are a number of supports that you can count on as an EcoMentor

to assist you in making your EcoMentoring experience a success!

1.4.1 EcoMentor

Thats you! In order to receive EcoMentors certification you are expected to complete the tasks listed in Section 2 (EcoMentors Certification) of
this document. In general, EcoMentors are expected to conduct themselves professionally, show up on time, follow through on agreements
made and be a good role model for the elementary students that they
work with. You are expected to show enthusiasm for your work and for
the participants.

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For a full list of expectations

please refer to the EcoMentors

Professional
Code of Conduct

[Appendix B]

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1.4.2 Host group contact

The Host Group Contact is your key contact within the group that you
are planning to do your EcoMentoring with. These people might included teachers, youth group leaders, program managers, youth representatives, environmental club leaders, etc whoever becomes your main
point of contact and is able to tell you about the groups needs and can
make formal plans to have you work with them. The Host Group Contact
is also expected to provide you with support during your workshop, including group management (in case there are any problems in the group
this person would be able to stepin), and they would also be responsible for providing feedback regarding your performance upon completion of your workshopthis includes filling-out some really simple
forms and providing a signature and contact info in order to confirm/
verify your visit and to provide you with valuable guidance about your
performance (what worked, what didnt, etc.).

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1.4.3 Ecomentors supervisor

Your EcoMentors Supervisor will provide you with necessary training
and advice and support in choosing a Host Group to work with. Depending on your situation your EcoMentors Supervisor could be one of several different peopleBasically, your Supervisor will be the person who
gave you your training to become an EcoMentorIf you have received
in-person training delivered by an EcoMentors staff person, or you have
completed the Self-Training option, then your Supervisor would be
the EcoMentors Program Manager. However, if you were given training through another organization (an EcoMentors Partner), then your
supervisor would probably be somebody in that organization.

If youre unclear about

who to report to, contact the

EcoMentors
Program Manager

[416-599-1991 x 103] or
[[email protected]]

1.4.4 earth day canada & ecomentors staff

Earth Day Canada (EDC) and EcoMentors program staff can provide
you with lots of useful resources and support. Connecting with the
EcoMentors and EDC staff will help to make your EcoMentoring experience more enjoyable and ensure that you receive the support you need
to complete the program. Also, upon completion of the EcoMentors
Program, EDC provides you with an official certificate of completion and
a green goodie bag.

Should you have any questions or

comments about your involvement as
an EcoMentor or just want to share a
story about what youre ecomentoring activities, please dont hesitate
to contact the

EcoMentors
Program Manager

[416-599-1991 x 103] or
[[email protected]]

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SECTION 2:
Ecomentors
certification

Section 2 :

ecomentors
Certification
One of the most exciting things about
EcoMentors program is the opportunity
to be certified as an EcoMentor
through Earth Day Canada.
This certification will provide future employers with an indication of your
related experience in the teaching and environmental fields.
Certification is your choice. Although there are many benefits to
being certified as an EcoMentor
through Earth Day Canada, it is
not mandatory. The most important thing to remember is that
the EcoMentors program can be
suited to your individual needs.
Additionally, certification is
only a minimum requirement so it
doesnt have to be the end of your
involvement as an EcoMentor.
There are lots of other valuable
opportunities for you to continue
on after your certificationYou
could keep doing more workshops, or you could even start an

EcoMentors club in your community, help train other youth to

be EcoMentors, or even take your
show on the road and do some
EcoMentoring in another province,
territory, city, etc the possibilities are endless!!!

Certification requires that you undertake

the following:
One or more training session
Delivery of a minimum of 4
environmentthemed
workshops
Completion of a workshop
tracking form for each
workshop delivered
Completion of a self evaluation form (at the end
of your 4 workshops)
Completion of a program
evaluation form
presentation to future
ecomentors (optional)

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SECTION 3:
Teaching &
facilitation tips

Section 3 :

Teaching &
Facilitation
tips
Through the EcoMentors program,
you can get a taste of teaching and
working with groups of people in a
leadership/facilitation role.
The EcoMentors program has
been designed to give you an
introduction to activities that you
may become involved in if you
decide to pursue a career that involves teaching, group facilitation,
or mentoring.
Because EcoMentors is an environmental education
program, we have suggested
activities that will help the groups
you work with develop a deeper
understanding of the natural
world, and that will give you
experience with environmental
education approaches.
At the core of the EcoMentors
program is a dedication to peerled popular education (education
delivered for and by people with

a common characteristicin this

case, young Canadians). Key to
this philosophy is an understanding that learning is not just the
handing down of information
or knowledge from an expert or
teacher, but also the sharing of
information and personal experiences between peers. To this end,
EcoMentors are trained to act as
facilitators of knowledgesharing rather than presenters of
things they know.

Facilitate
Prounciation: \f -si-l -tt\
Function: transitive verb
to make easier
help bring about
<facilitate growth>
~ Merriam-Webster Dictionary

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3.1

SECTION 3:
Teaching &
facilitation tips

Teaching & Facilitating

creatively and effectively

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Most people have experienced

the teaching approach where a
teacher or presenter stands at
the front of the class or an audience giving a lecture on a topic
while everyone else sits in their
seats trying to take in all the
information being given. There
are situations where this type of
teaching is appropriate, but for
young people, extensive lecturing
is often not the greatest method
for passing on knowledge and
information, or making people feel
like theyre able to do something
personally about the issues youre
talking about.
There are many ways to teach
and facilitate with groups creatively and effectively. Here are a
few suggestions that are considered good practice within environmental education.

Relate the topics/issues youre

discussing to the unique
experiences of the people
youre working with.

Try to involve as many of the

human senses as possible
in learningsight, sound,
touch, smell, and tastenot
just the mind.

Show your enthusiasm for the

subject. Be creative, an most of
all have funtheyll catch on.
Hook your participants. Give
them a reason for wanting to
know what you are teaching.

See the people youre working

with as partners or
participants in education
(both their education AND your
own education), rather than as
students or receivers for
information.
Keep ideas clear and simple.

Make learning about doing and

acting as much as about
thinking. People learn (often
better) through firsthand
experiences such as building
and creating.

Provide opportunities for

participants to reflect on what
theyve learned and what they
think and feel about the ideas
this will help it stick.

Environmental education
should encourage people to
take positive action on
environmental issuesIts
one thing to for people to know
something, but its even better if
they act on what they know.

Involve participants.
Rather than telling them
answers and providing in formation that you know, get
them to use their imaginations,
knowledge and experiences
to problemsolve and come up
with their own explanations
and interpretations.
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3.2

SECTION 3:
Teaching &
facilitation tips

Choosing
activities

3.2.1 Topics
When youre facilitating an
environmental education workshop, the most important thing
is that you know and incorporate
the specific needs of the participants within the workshop and
activities. So, if youre working
with an elementary school class
you will want to speak with the
teacher to find out if the class is
currently working on a specific
unit or topic area, and if theres
anything in particular that they
feel the students would benefit
from most. Or if youre working
with a different group like a youth
group or club, find out what the
focus of the group is, the interests
of its members, and how your
EcoMentors workshop will fit-in
with the goals/purpose of the
group. Environmental issues tend
to be viewed as doom and gloom.
Try to avoid this in the classroom,
instead empowering participants
to make a difference through
your choice of upbeat activities
and discussion.

Now, all this being said, the EcoMentors progra m does provide
fun and engaging lesson plans that
you can use or draw ideas from
for your workshops. These lesson
plans have been developed for
use primarily within elementary
schools and have been loosely
categorized based on grade level
and subject areaHowever, you
may find an activity or discussion within one of these lesson
plans that you could use or adapt
to meet the needs of a different
group of young Canadians. Just
remember, whatever you do be
creative and have fun!
Before you begin EcoMentoring
you should familiarize yourself
with the lesson plans that we have
available for you on our website.
If a lesson doesnt exist for a topic
or issue that you would like to
cover, consider creating your
own. Consult with you Host Group
Contact, EcoMentors staff and this
handbook with help in creating
your own.

You will find the Lesson plans in the

students sectiongo to the
Lesson Plans tab at the top of the
menu, or visit this URL:
[www.ecomentors.ca/pub/students/lesson_plans.cfm]

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3.2.2 Teaching/Facilitation Approaches

There are many waysor approachesto educate people about an
environmental topic or issue. For example, if you want your participants
to learn about global warming, you could have them:
Research the different
perspectives on the issue and
engage in a debate

Monitor levels of greenhouse

gases in the community around
the school

Interview scientists or relevant

individuals to understand
whether global warming is
occurring naturally or is
humaninduced;

Research the ways that the

school is contributing to
greenhouse gas emissions
and set up a program to
reduce the schools impact;

Write a poem or draw a

picture that expresses their
feelings and concerns about
global warming;

Write a story that describes the

effects global warming will
have on the area in which they
live or on an animal that lives
in the area.

Not all approaches suit all topics. The activities that we have
provided on our website focus on
9 different teaching approaches.
These approaches are detailed in
Table 1.

While lecturing is a common method

of teaching used for older paarticipants, the approach is not recommended when working with youth
and children.

Discussions

Evaluating Current
Conditions

Hands-on Experiences
Initiating Action

Personal Reflection

Poetry and Artwork/

Creative Expression
Research

Scientific Investigations
Sensory Activities

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Table 1
different teaching/facilitation approaches
and how to use them
Teaching/
facilitation
approach

Description of approach

Examples of approach

Participants discuss the

topic/issue.

Debate, discuss designing a school garden,

policy discussion

Handson
Experiences

Involves participants in learning

through doing.

Initating Action

Involves participants in taking

action to improve environmental
conditions.

Designing a school garden, living lightly, local habitat

enhancement, making items from waste, schoolyard
nature study, schoolyard or community cleanup,
sensory walk

Discussions
Evaluating
Current
Conditions

Personal
Reflection
Artwork/
Creative
Expression
Research

Scientific
Investigation
Sensory
Activities

Assess environmental interests

or concerns to determine current
conditions and needed actions.

Involves participants in
considering their own perspective
on a topic.

Community environmental baseline study, community interviews, community resource inventory,

lifecycle accounting, policy discussion, school
audit/ecological footprint, school plan, school yard
nature study

Designing a school garden, local habitat enhancement, personal action plans, school plan, schoolyard
or community cleanup, waste/resource exchange
Debate, future scenario, nature poetry/creative
expression, personal action plans, policy discussion

Involves participants in creative

expression of ideas/opinions/
feelings.

Future scenario, living lightly, making items from

waste, nature poetry/creative expression, role-plays

Involves participants in scientific

experiments/discovery activities.

Community environmental baseline study, local

habitat enhancement, schoolyard nature study

Involves participants individually,

or in a group, investigating and
uncovering information related to
the topic.

Involves participants in learning

through their senses.

Community environmental baseline study, community interviews, community resource inventory, debate,
designing a school garden, lifecycle accounting, policy
discussion, school audit/ecological footprint, schoolyard nature study

Community environmental baseline study,

community interviwes, community resource inventory, designing a school garden, living lightly, local
habitat enhancement, nature poetry/creative expression, school audit/ecological footprint, schoolyard
nature study, sensory walk
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3.3

BEING a leader in
the classroom

As an EcoMentor, you have an

important leadership role to play
with your peers and other young
people. But what does it mean to
be a leader and what does good
leadership entail?
There are many types of leaders
and many styles of leadership. In
general, good leaders do the following:

Act as a role model.

Listen to participants needs

and interests.

Open doors for participants to

deepen their knowledge or

Think about people you admire

those who have had an influence on
your life. What characteristics do
they possess?

to show them different ways of

seeing ideas.
See the potential in
participants and try to unlock
that potential.
Provide guidance, respect
and understanding.

Challenge participants;
demanding the best and setting

expectations high while making

goals attainable.

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3.4

DEVELOPING RAPPORT
WITH THE PARTICIPANTS

Facilitating is easy when you have

the interest of the participants.
Younger participants are naturally
curious about new people visiting
their group, so you can use this
interest to grab their attention.
Your challenge is to maintain
their desire to work with you and
to walk the fine line between being an authority figure and being a
friend. Remember, you are there to
assist with the participants learning not to entertain them or gain
their affection. Here are a few keys
to accomplishing this task.
Treat participants the way you
want to be treated.

Treat participants with

respect. Dont talk down to
them. Let your authority come
from your knowledge and your
guidance, not from pulling rank
or holding power over them.

Respect all responses that you

get from the participants and
be genuinely interested in all
points of view.

Be yourself and be genuine.

Be enthusiastic about what
youre teaching.
Set firm limits and apply
them respectfully.

Make learning and safety

your priorities.

Remember: you dont have to

be an expert. Its okay to
say I dont knowbut I will
find out.

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3.5

SECTION 3:
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facilitation tips

MOTIVATING
PARTICIPANTS

You will be facilitating groups of individuals who have unique interests

and learning styles. What motivates one participant will be different
from what motivates another. Motivating all participants requires a flexible approach and trying many different things. Here are some suggestions.

This is where to put captions, explanations, blah blah...

Do activities in which participants are active partners in

the learning rather than passive
recipients of information.

Be responsive to participants
interests and questions. Provide
positive feedback and encouragementeven if you dont
necessarily agree, try to find
something positive to say.

Show your own curiosity

about the topic.

Ask open-ended questions to

spark discussiondont just
give answers.

Draw participants into a topic

by creating challenges, scenarios, puzzles and mysteries they
have to solve.

Provide startling ideas, strange

facts, stories, jokes, quotes, songs
to spark participant interest.

Vary your tone and the volume

of your voice to maintain attention.

Vary the way in which participants interact with each other

from whole class discussion to
working in partners to having
participants give presentations on
topics to small groups.
Use real world examples that
relate to participants lives.

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3.6

SECTION 3:
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facilitation tips

Managing group
dynamics effectively

When youre facilitating a group of young people (or any people for that
matter) you will need to pay attention to whats going on in the group
and how communication is flowingWhos talking most? Whos talking
least? Who seems disinterested? Are there any disruptive individuals or
groups? Do some people need more encouragement than others? Is the
group more interested in doing an activity around a topic or just having
a conversation a bout it?All of these things are part of the groups
dynamics (or interactions) and as a facilitator they can either work for
you, or against you.
Effective management of these group dynamics requires forethought.
Prepare yourself for possible problems and plan potential solutions. Review any potential issues with your Host Group Contact. Some younger
people can tend to have shorter attention spans. They cant sit quietly
forever. If your participants are starting to get restless, use that as a cue
to change your presentationprepare a short, fun and energizing game
or activity that you can throw in at any time to get participants feeling
more energetic. If you begin to have difficulty with disruptive participants, or have problems keeping the group focused on the task at hand
you can rely on the Host Group Contact to help you out.

3.6.1 Facilitating Indoors

Most people are accustomed to learning indoors. Generally, they know
the rules and expectations, have established routines, and are bound
by the limited space available. Here are some suggestions to assist with
facilitating indoors.
Ensure that all participants are
in your direct line of vision.

When individual and group

work is being done circulate
regularlywalk around the
room and ask people what
theyre doing and if they need
any help or explanation.
Group participants so
that those who may be
disruptive together are not
grouped together.

Use your tone of voice to focus

attention and your placement
in the room to minimize
disruptive behaviour.

Stick to the rules and

routines that have already been
established by your Host
Group Contact.

Establish a signal to get their

attention (like raising your
hand or turning the lights on
and off, etc.)

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3.6.2 Facilitating
OUTdoors
While these opportunities dont
always arise, an outdoor learning
experience potentially allows participants to be handson with
the environmental topic being covered. Typically, participants are
unaccustomed to learning in an
outdoor environment, therefore,
the rules, routines and expectations that have been well established within the groups normal
setting (e.g. a classroom), may be
forgotten. As well, there are more
distractions outside, and fresh air
increases energy levels. Your task
when teaching outdoors is to work
with participants increased
enthusiasm and energy while
maintaining focus so that learning
occurs and participant safety is
maintained. Here are some ways
to avoid problems when teaching
outdoors.Ensure that all participants are in your direct line of vision. When individual and group
work is being done circulate
regularlywalk around the room
and ask people what theyre doing and if they need any help or
explanation. Group participants so
that those who may be disruptive
together are not grouped together.
Use your tone of voice to focus
attention and your placement in
the room to minimize disruptive
behaviour. Establish a signal to
get their attention (like raising
your hand or turning the lights on
and off, etc.) Stick to the rules and
routines that have already been
established by your Host Group
Contact.

Set ground rules (e.g. staying on the path, not pushing or

shoving, bringing litter back to
the classroom, etc.) before leaving
the classroom and repeat once
outside.
Set boundaries beyond which
participants cannot wander.

Set a clear signal that indicates that the activity is over and
everyone should return to home
ground.

Gather participants in a circle,

preferably seated, when debriefing an activity.
Make sure that you have a first
aid kit and that participants have
water and sunscreen and are
dressed appropriately for the
conditions.

If you are walking for a distance

with young children, make sure
that one adult leads the group
and one adult follows and ensures that no stragglers get left
behind.
Set an appropriate tone
speak softly to focus attention,
read a poem to help children get
into a reflective mood, be energetic if the activity is active, etc.

Be vigilant. Be aware of
participants whereabouts and
watch for behaviour that may be
disrupting other participants or
causing destruction to the natural
environment.
Know how to handle disruptive behaviour (e.g. have participants sitout from an activity).

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3.7

SECTION 3:
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facilitation tips

educating about
the environment

Environmental topics are often controversial. There are many opinions

on the factual basis of environmental issues (such as global warming),
and people have strong and very different opinions on what should be
done about a particular environmental problem. Its important when
presenting environmental information to present it within the context
of all of the opinions that exist on the topic.
Environmental issues often touch on peoples fundamental beliefs.
Discussions of issues can be emotional and explosive. When you are
teaching young participants, consider the perspectives that may exist in
their homes and be sensitive to these viewpoints.
Due to the emotional nature of extreme perspectives and the diversity
of opinions, information (from some sources) is often coloured by
speakers or writers personal bias. Part of the challenge of environmental education is to help participants understand the biases that exist and
to take those biases into account when interpreting the information.
Finally, the environmental issues are often labelled as doom and
gloom. While it is important to be truthful with participants, it is also
important to not overwhelm or scare them. Remember when working
with young children that they can be impressionable and have fertile
imaginations, and may not have the knowledge or experience to put
comments or ideas into a broader context. Be aware of the impacts of
what you are saying to them. When in doubt, speak to your EcoMentors
Supervisor or Host Group Contact about how to handle an issue.

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SECTION 4:
Environmental
education resources

Section 4 :

Environmental
education
resources
4.1

USINg resources
effectively

Educational resourcesbooks,
videos, computer simulations,
etc.can be used to enhance
learning.
The key to using educational
resources is to choose high quality
resources and to use them appropriately and effectively. For
example, a video can be helpful
in providing participants with
experiences that they would not
otherwise have, and showing them
phenomena that they wouldnt
otherwise see. Videos can also be
useful in generating interest in a
topic or in focusing participants

attention. But, videos cannot replace the experience of being outdoors and learning directly from
nature. Skills such as constructing,
measuring or analyzing data are
all learned better by doing than
by watching.
It will take time and experience
to determine which resources are
more effective/appropriate. Make
sure that all resources are relevant
(that they develop the concept
you are teaching) and that the
information is presented in a clear
manner.

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4.2

SECTION 4:
Environmental
education resources

resources you
can use

This is where to put captions, explanations, blah blah...

This is where to put captions, explanations, blah blah...

Environmental education resources can be found in many places

including the following:
Nature and science stores
(some stores provide resource materials for teachers)
Outdoor education and nature centres

Environmental organizations and nature clubs

(such as your local naturalists association)
Facilities where nature concepts are taught
(such as science centre or planetarium)

Provincial environmental education organizations

Ask a teacher, a school librarian, your Host Group Contact, or your
EcoMentors Supervisor for other suggestions for tracking down
environmental education material.

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Thats all
folks!

Thats all
folks!
There is an overwhelming need in communities across Canada for a
program like EcoMentors. To the best of our knowledge there are no
other programs similar to EcoMentors being offered in Canada at this
time. You are part of a new movement of youth inspiring youth!
Past host elementary teachers have stated that it was a great benefit
to have an interested student working beside them with the class. They
also thought that the program was well organized and increased student
engagement. Previous participants stated that the program provided
them with the opportunity to expand their environmental knowledge,
to learn new research and planning techniques and how to incorporate
all of the concepts and information into a lesson plan. We hope that you
will derive as much reward from participating in this program as others
have.

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Appendix A:
suggested
resources

Appendix a :

suggested
resources
1.ACTIVITY BOOKS

2.Magazines

Cornell, J. 1979.
Sharing nature with children.
Nevada City, CA: Dawn Publications.

Green Teacher
95 Robert Street
Toronto, ON, M5S 2K5 Canada
Phone: 4169601244
Fax: 4169253474

Degler, T. & Pollution Probe. 1990.

The Canadian junior green guide:
How you can help save our world.
Toronto, ON: McClelland & Stewart Inc.

Earthworks Group. 1990.

50 simple things kids can do to save the earth.
Kansas City, MO: Andrews and McMeel.

Link, M. 1981.
Outdoor education: A manual for teaching
in natures classroom.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: PrenticeHall.

Metzger, M. & Whittaker, C.P. 1991.

This planet is mine: Teaching environmental
awareness and appreciation to children.
New York: Fireside.

Mason, A. 1991.
The green classroom.
Markham, ON: Pembroke Publishers Ltd.

Van Matre, S. (1974).

Acclimatization.
Martinsville, IN: American Camping Association.

Van Matre, S. (1990).

Earth education: A new beginning.
Warrenville, IL: The Institute for Earth Education.

E-mail: [email protected]

3.Websites and guides

EcoMentors Lesson Plans
[www.ecomentors.ca]

EcoKids Online Games and Resources

[www.ecokids.ca]

North American Association for Environmental

Educations EE Link
[www.eelink.net]

Green Street
[www.green-street.ca]

Canadian Network for Environmental

Education and Communication
[www.eecom.org]

Many environmental organizations provide resource

material, activity ideas and lesson plans on their
websites. Do an Internet search on a specific
organization or on a topic of interest to find related
activity ideas.

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Appendix b:
ecomentors professional
code of conduct

APPENDIX B :

ECOMENTORS
PROFESSIONAL
CODE OF CONDUCT
The following code of conduct has been developed to clearly outline the professional
behaviour expected of EcoMentors while working in an EcoMentoring capacity:
I, promise to:

Conduct myself professionally.

Meet with my Host Group Contact prior to my workshop to discuss needs of the group.
Show up on time to scheduled meetings and workshops.
Inform my Host Group Contact well in advance if I am unable to make a scheduled workshop.
Arrive to workshops organized and prepared.
Follow through on agreements made.
Be a positive role model for the groups of young people that I work with.
Treat participants with respect and fairness.

As a member of the EcoMentors Program I,

agree to:

Inform the EcoMentors Project Manager or my Supervisor if any concerns arise.

Submit Workshop Tracking Forms to the EcoMentors Program Manager prior to
hosting a workshop.
Complete and submit Self Evaluation and Program Evaluation forms upon completion
of 4 workshops.

EcoMentor Signature

Date
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Sponsors

sponsors
The EcoMentors Program is possible through the gracious support of
generous sponsors.

This document was created by:

Earth Day Canada
111 Peter Street, Suite 503
Toronto ON M5V 2H1
Phone: 416-599-1991
Toll-free phone outside Toronto area:
1-888-283-2784
Fax:416-599-3100
First Edition
created in February 2004
Edited in 2006
by J.Kun and Y.Fros
Edited in 2008
by I. Lui
Edited in May 2008
by R. Cooper
Edited in July 2008
by K. Livingston
Edited in August 2008
by J. Stevenson
Second Edition
created in October 2011

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