Ecolint Family Challenge: Reduce your use of Non-Renewable Resources

Ecolint Family Challenge: Reduce your use of Non-Renewable ResourcesOur Challenge:During the month of June, commit to a commute that reduces your impact 50%. If you already are a family who are car-free and use your legs, your bicycle, and/or public transport to commute, please fill in the electronic pledge to encourage others to take the challenge. If you rely on your car, take the pledge for at least one member of your family to stop driving half of the working days in June.Dates: June 1 - 22 (which actually means just 8 days out of your car)The HistoryFor the past two years, over 20 Ecolint teachers have participated in the Bike to Work Pro Velo Switzerland event that has over 500,000 people across Switzerland riding their bicycles to work every other day. This year, we wanted to open up this challenge to the greater Nations community.Year 4 students are currently inquiring into the PYP Transdisciplinary Theme: “Sharing the Planet” and heard a motivating presentation from the organization, Pionniers de l’energie et du climat recherches. In our unit about changing materials and the changing world, we are looking to see what we can do to prepare for a cleaner future.How it will WorkBiking to work is not always an option for primary students and so the Year 4 students came up with the idea to open this challenge up to family members and staff. We want you to think creatively as to how your family can be less reliant on fossil fuels and possibly, healthier. Can you car-pool with a neighbor instead of each making separate trips? Can a member of your family cycle, walk, scoot, or run to work? If your children already ride the school bus to school, this is better than driving in individual cars but can someone else in the family take the challenge?At the end the challenge, on June 22, we will share another link where you can record if your family has met the challenge for the month. In addition, we will share a paper calendar where you can record the distance not driven each day to be shared with Year 4 students at the end of the month. For every family that meets the challenge, we will put your name in for a drawing to win a Fitbit.On June 1st, students and staff in Primary started the day by collectively walking 300 km in less than 20 minutes, just by walking the perimeter of the school. Mr. Harte had done his math and shared the fact that as a year group they had collectively walked almost twice the distance of travelling from school to the ski resort of Hirmenthaz and as a primary school they had walked the equivalent of travelling to Gruyere and back.

Have you signed the pledge to commit to a change in your commute for 1/2 of the remaining school days? Any family member can pledge a change. Join 500,000 others across Switzerland to reduce your co2 emissions by walking, biking, scooting, or taking public transportation to work during the month of June.