Seven Oaks School Division is developing a comprehensive Climate Action Plan in response to the climate emergency declared by the school board December 9, 2019. This declaration followed the efforts of a dedicated group of students who passionately presented to the school board, urging immediate action on climate change. Their advocacy sparked a division-wide commitment to addressing the urgent environmental challenges we face.

Figure: Seven Oaks Student Climate Crisis Collective, which included students from eight schools across SOSD, November 25, 2019.

Priority Areas of the Plan

1. Climate Justice and Ethic of Care in Climate Change Education
2. Indigenous Teachings and Land-Based Learning:
3. Climate Adaptation, Mitigation, Measurement, and Accountability:
4. Student-Led Climate Action Projects:
5. Collaborative Community Action:

Categories for the Climate Action Plan

1. Climate Change Education- Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning
2. Land Stewardship
3. Building Capacity for Climate Action
4. Building Partnerships for Climate Action
5. Governance
6. Facilities and Operations

Our North Stars in Climate Action

1. Mino Pimatisiwin (Wellbeing for all):
   Promote the holistic wellbeing of students, staff, and communities, as well as the more-than-human world, by integrating mental, emotional, and physical health into climate action initiatives.
2. Planetary Regeneration:
   Commit to practices that restore and revitalize ecosystems through land stewardship, fostering a healthier Earth for future generations.
3. Peace:
   Cultivate a culture of peace through education that emphasizes collaboration, respect for nature, and an understanding of the interconnectedness of all living things.

Seven Oaks School Division has developed a holistic Climate Action Plan in response to the climate emergency declared by the school board December 9, 2019. This declaration followed the efforts of a dedicated group of students who passionately presented to the school board, urging immediate action on climate change. Their advocacy sparked a division-wide commitment to addressing the urgent environmental challenges we face.

View the Seven Oaks School Division Climate Action Plan here 

Over the 2024-2025 school year, the Seven Oaks School Division Climate Action Collaborative Learning Team has been engaged in an inspiring journey of climate action, purposeful dialogue, and shared learning rooted in Climate Justice and Truth and Reconciliation. This diverse team of superintendents, trustees, administrators, learning support teachers, educators, and students has co-created the first Climate Action Plan for a school division in Manitoba. It represents a meaningful step forward in addressing the climate emergency through education and action.

The holistic Climate Action Plan outlines a pathway for quality Climate Change Education and for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in alignment with the Paris Agreement. It responds to the urgency of our time and to the very real climate anxieties that young people are facing. Shaped through collaboration, the plan is guided by three North Stars: mino pimatisiwin- wellbeing for all, planetary regeneration, and lasting peace.

Thank you to everyone across Seven Oaks who continues to grow the good and lead the way in climate action. Your passion and commitment are planting seeds of transformation for generations to come.