Canmore Collegiate High School is looking at becoming officially associated with the United Nations.
CCHS began a process two years ago to become part of the UNESCO Associate Schools Project Network.
Teacher Barb Dobson said the school submitted an application to become a candidate school as a great way to showcase what students are already doing.
“We really thought it was a cool way to organize the great stuff happening in our school already,” she said.
This fall, that candidate period comes to an end and Dobson said CCHS could apply for official status, which would allow the school to fly the UN flag and display a plaque, if administration, school board and school council are all on board.
It also allows access to a network of other UNESCO schools around the world.
Teacher Warren Lake said going through the candidate process, which required two years of successful school projects, gave teachers and students more avenues to include others in the projects they were doing.
Student and class initiatives then have the ability to become school-wide and get more students involved in different aspects.
“There is a lot of room to involve the community in what we do,” Lake added. “What happens in the school now with that status we can bring that into the community.”
Throughout the school year teachers worked with student council and picked several projects already occurring that fit into UNESCO network themes.
“There are lots of school projects kids have done separate of this that incorporate into this nicely,” Lake said.
Those themes are human rights, democracy and acceptance, intercultural learning, environmental concerns and world concerns and the role of the United Nations.
Dobson said in addition to the themes, activities should fall within the four pillars of learning: learning to know, learning to do, learning to be and learning to live together.
Along with existing projects, students took on new ones that fit within the UNESCO framework.
Six schools in Alberta have obtained the status and at the most recent national conference students presented their efforts under the program so far.
CCHS students impressed those at the conference with their work on environmental concerns.
“At this school these things are second nature,” Dobson said. “It is great affirmation we are doing awesome things already, but it is also great for the community and to collaborate nationally.”
Teacher Ken Symington said the long-term goal, if the board is receptive, is to have all schools in the district eventually obtain UNESCO status.
Symington said as more schools in the future receive this status more links between students nationally and internationally are created.
Projects included participation in 350.org, Green Club, the newly-installed earth tub, the ASCENT program, SAGE program, a fundraiser for Japan, social justice club, world day of social justice, mental health day, human rights day and world press freedom day.
