Sooke students complete 738 climate actions through Cool It! program

Students from Sooke-area schools took hundreds of practical steps to reduce their environmental impact through the 2025/26 Cool It! Climate Leadership Training Program.

Six local classes involving 143 students participated in the program. Together, they completed 738 climate actions, with an estimated annual greenhouse gas reduction of 18.9 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent if the actions are maintained for one year.

Sooke results at a glance

Program stream	Classes	Students	Participating students*	Actions completed	Estimated annual GHG savings
Elementary	4	96	55	451	11.0 tonnes CO₂e
Secondary	2	47	38	287	7.9 tonnes CO₂e
Total	6	143	93	738	18.9 tonnes CO₂e

Participating classes came from Sooke Elementary School, John Muir Elementary School, Journey Middle School and Edward Milne Community School. The secondary-level classes achieved an overall participation rate of 81 per cent.

What is the Cool It! program?

Cool It! is a climate education and leadership program developed and delivered by the British Columbia Sustainable Energy Association. It combines classroom learning with a four-week Climate Challenge that encourages students to take practical action at home, at school and in their community.

During workshops, students learn about climate science, the causes and effects of climate change, common misconceptions, climate solutions and opportunities for local action. Students then choose activities related to topics such as:

walking, cycling and public transit;
reducing food waste and choosing local foods;
saving household energy and water;
recycling and reducing waste;
supporting native plants, trees and pollinators; and
researching climate issues and community solutions.

Elementary students complete activities using a 25-action Climate Challenge Card, while older students use an online platform that guides them through weekly activities. Classes also participate in follow-up sessions to discuss their experiences, challenges and results.

Across the Capital Region, the 2025/26 program reached 2,418 students in 104 classes. Participants completed 15,411 actions, representing an estimated annual greenhouse gas reduction of 438.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent if those actions are continued for one year.

The program was supported through a partnership involving the Capital Regional District, the District of Sooke and other participating municipalities.