Lakeside Academy Scores Big By Winning Cool Your School Contest Sponsored by The Montreal Canadiens and The National Bank
by Helena Tsitouras
Lakeside Academy is the proud winner of the Cool your School contest, an initiative that is part of the Montreal Canadiens and National Bank’s Goal is Green Program.
The program aims to promote sustainability and green initiatives at schools, while inspiring students to take action towards a greener future. On March 21st, they were invited by the Montreal Canadiens to attend a game where they were announced as the Cool your School contest winners. Students and staff celebrated their victory as they cheered on the Habs.
As the winner of the contest, Lakeside Academy will receive a landscaping and greening project for their school this spring, free of charge with maintenance carried out for two years. The high school will also be offered an educational and interactive program that teaches students about environmental concerns and how they can make a difference.
The school was a perfect fit for the contest given their ongoing sustainability and mental health initiatives. Lakeside has been making a conscious effort to implement sustainable practices and promote environmental awareness among their students and staff. Initiatives such as their award-winning youth project on climate change entitled Charging your Cell Phones Using the Sun, aims to engage students about climate change by investing in solar panels to charge cell phones. Additionally, Lakeside Academy houses an on-site beehive. Honey from the bees is jarred for the community to enjoy.
Winning the Cool your School Contest is a testament to their dedication and hard work towards achieving a greener future.
The green project will not only enhance the appearance of the school’s grounds but will also provide numerous benefits to students and staff. Green spaces have been shown to have a positive impact on mental health by promoting relaxation and reducing stress levels. The school is located in what can be described as a heat island due to Lachine’s proximity to highways and the airport. By adding trees and other greenery, they hope to alleviate pollution and noise from nearby traffic.
Lakeside Academy has many hopes for their future landscaping project. They hope to create an environment where students spend their lunch breaks and teachers are encouraged to bring their classes. They also plan to plant a variety of flowers for their bees to pollinate and add a vegetable garden for students. They look forward to students working on this project firsthand and seeing it through from beginning to end. Most importantly, Lakeside Academy hopes to create a space for generations of future students to enjoy and share.
