Students from A.E. Bowers Elementary School in Airdrie are being recognized for their work learning how to make the Nose Creek watershed a more welcoming habitat as part of a province-wide environmental challenge.
The Airdrie-based project was one of 13 school initiatives selected under Alberta’s 2025 Environmental Student Action Challenge — a grant program supporting student-led solutions to environmental issues in their communities.
"Being a recipient of the Environmental Student Action Challenge grant two years in a row has been an incredible opportunity for my students," said Elyse Schlichter, a Grade 1 and 2 French immersion teacher at A.E. Bowers Elementary School.
"The funding allowed us to turn big ideas into real world projects, such as designing a 3D-printed garbage collection device for Banff National Park and creating pollinator-friendly gardens while learning about sustainability. These experiences brought science, innovation, and environmental stewardship to life in ways that traditional classroom lessons simply cannot. I'm deeply grateful for the authentic, hands-on learning this grant has made possible."
This year’s challenge supported a range of projects led by students from kindergarten to Grade 12. In Diamond Valley, students explored sustainable agriculture. In Calgary, students completed a project on water quality in local wetlands.
According to a May 30 statement from the Government of Alberta, a total of 13 classroom-based projects across 11 schools were funded in 2025, with a combined total of $13,000. Each team identified a local environmental need and proposed a school-based project to address it — focusing on improvements to air, land, water or biodiversity.
"The Environmental Student Action Challenge is a great program that inspires and engages students in the science they’re learning in the classroom and putting it to use in a hands-on way to make a difference in the environment around them," said Rebecca Schulz, Alberta’s Minister of Environment and Protected Areas.
"We should all be inspired by these young leaders and all their hard work to keep protecting Alberta’s environment."
The program is coordinated by Bow Habitat Station. A Celebration of Learning event held at the station brought students together to present their work to peers, educators, family members and the community.
As part of the program, students were also encouraged to document their projects and reflect on lessons learned throughout the process.
Applications for the 2026 Environmental Student Action Challenge are expected to open in September. All Alberta schools are eligible to apply.
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