Shell Canada and Canadian Geographic bring back Canadian Energy Diet Challenge

Canadian students compete to win prizes while learning to understand energy

OTTAWA, Feb. 5, 2014 /CNW/ - Over 1,200 classrooms across Canada are about to embark on the Classroom Energy Diet Challenge (CEDC), a three-month long national energy efficiency competition to help youth understand where energy comes from, how it's used and how to manage energy resources.

The competition is divided into three streams with many prizes: Classroom Challenge, where registered classes from kindergarten to grade 12 complete in 25 energy-focused, curriculum-based lesson plans, the Video Contest, where students create a video teaching other Canadians how to reduce energy footprint and new in 2014: an opportunity for students to complete a second video showing why their school deserves to win a grand prize of $10,000 to reduce the carbon footprint of their school.

"Energy literacy is becoming increasingly important for all Canadians and is now seen in curricula from coast to coast," says John Geiger, CEO of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society. "Giving students the opportunity to learn about energy conservation through a powerful, innovative educational resource, like the Classroom Energy Diet Challenge, will undoubtedly give them a deeper understanding of what they can do to save energy."

Building on the success of 2013, CEDC has partnered with Global TV to feature two Global Classrooms. This year the Global Classroom spotlight will shine on Mrs. Pezzaniti's grade 4 classroom of Fort McMurray, Alberta, and Ms. Boucher's grade 3/4 classroom of Chilliwack, B.C. "The Classroom Energy Diet Challenge provides engaging opportunities for students, empowering them to become environmentally responsible," says Ms. Boucher, "and we are happy to participate."

"Energy is vital to everything we do and make, so understanding energy is important for all of us," says Lorraine Mitchelmore, Shell Canada President and Country Chair, "and the Classroom Energy Diet Challenge provides teachers with tools to help students understand how to save energy, and why it's important."

For more information on the Classroom Energy Diet Challenge, please visit energydieet.canadiangeographic.ca. The CEDC can also be found on Twitter (@Energy_Lit) and Facebook (Shell Canadian Geographic Energy Diet Challenge). If you are interested in speaking with a competing classroom in your area, please see coordinates below to arrange an interview.

Notes to Editors

• A media backgrounder is available.

Canadian Geographic
The Royal Canadian Geographical Society is dedicated to imparting a broader knowledge and deeper appreciation of Canada — its people and places, its natural and cultural heritage and its environmental, social and economic challenges. The Society's mission is to make Canada better known to Canadians and its goal is to make Canadians more geographically-literate. The principal mechanism of its public education role is Canadian Geographic magazine. For more than 80 years, Canadian Geographic has been telling stories, explaining issues and making the country more accessible through words, pictures and maps.

Shell Canada Ltd
Shell has been operating in Canada since 1911 and employs approximately 8,000 people across the country. A leading manufacturer, distributor and marketer of refined petroleum products, Shell produces natural gas, natural gas liquids and bitumen, and is Canada's largest producer of sulphur. Shell is one of Canada's oil sands developers and operates the Athabasca Oil Sands Project on behalf of the joint venture partners.

Media Backgrounder

The Classroom Energy Diet Challenge
In 2014, over 1,250 classrooms (approximately 30,000 students) from across Canada will compete in the third annual Classroom Energy Diet Challenge (CEDC). This curriculum-based energy conservation program, presented by Shell Canada and Canadian Geographic, won the Award of Merit from the Global, Environmental, and Outdoor Education Council of the Alberta Teachers' Association in April 2013.

• The CEDC is a national energy efficiency contest designed to help students understand where energy comes from, how it's used and how to manage resources while providing classrooms with access to tips and resources for understanding energy.
  
  
• From February 5, 2014 to April 24, 2014, students will complete lessons and challenges designed to increase their knowledge and awareness about energy use in Canada. Each classroom's progress is tracked on the Challenge website energydiet.canadiangeographic.ca.
  
  
• The Challenge is divided into three streams:
• Classroom Challenge: classes complete 25 curriculum-linked activities to earn class points.  Gift card prizes will be awarded to randomly selected classrooms upon completion of individual challenges, and for most points earned and top school points.
• Video Contest: students create a video to teach youth how to reduce their energy consumption. Two winning classrooms will be chosen, one elementary, and one secondary. The winning videos will be selected based on the following criteria: their impact in raising awareness about energy conservation, creativity and originality, production values, popularity as determined by public vote and evaluation by a panel of qualified judges.
• New in 2014! Green Your School Contest: classes will complete the 15-point Green Your School Challenge by submitting an application to compete for a $10,000 prize. Then, classes will produce a short video highlighting a project that will reduce the carbon footprint of their school, and why that project deserves to win the $10,000 prize. A winner and two runners-up will be chosen through public voting and evaluation by a panel of qualified judges.

• CEDC is partnering with Global TV so teachers and the public can learn about energy conservation by tuning into Global for the Global Classroom series.  The classroom vignettes will follow two classrooms in two locations throughout The Challenge phase, and broadcasts the student's hands-on learning experience on Shaw TV's Go! and online.
   
• Teachers will be uploading their Challenge photos to inspire and challenge colleagues from across the country. The photos act as proof of each completed challenge. The most inspirational photos will be posted by CEDC on Facebook (Shell Canadian Geographic Energy Diet Challenge) with regular updates being posted on Twitter (@Energy_lit).

Classroom Challenge Prizes

• All classrooms that achieve 30 points or higher will be eligible for prizes. For each of the 25 challenges, one $100 Visa Gift Card will be awarded by random draw to one of the classrooms that participated.
  
  
• Beginning at 30 points, and increasing in value up to 300 points achieved, classes have the opportunity to win up to $2,500 in Visa gift cards.
  
  
• The Most Points Prize will be awarded to the classroom (from either an elementary or secondary school) that accumulates the most points through classroom assignments.  The prize will consist of $4,000 gift card and a $1000 contribution to a charity of their choice.
  
  
• The Top School Prize will be awarded to the school (either elementary or secondary level) with the highest percentage of qualifying classrooms participating in the Challenge.  The prize will consist of $4,250 gift card, and a $1000 contribution to a charity of the school's choice. 

Video Contest Prizes

• The grand prize consists of $2,500 to be used towards technical equipment to support learning.  Two grand prizes will be awarded: one to the best elementary and one to the best secondary classroom video produced. The winning videos will also receive national public exposure through Canadian Geographic and potentially via other events or media outlets.

 Green Your School Contest Prize

• Classes now have the chance to win $10,000 for a project that decreases their school's carbon footprint. To be eligible, classes will complete the 15-point Green Your School Challenge, and then submit an application to compete for the prize. Classes will then produce a short video highlighting the project, and why the project deserves the $10,000 prize. A winner and two runners-up will be chosen through public voting and evaluation by a panel of judges.

 Key Dates

February 5: Challenge begins
Students and teachers begin completing the lesson plans and learning about energy resources and conservation.

April 6: Video upload deadline
All classes participating in the video and Green Your School contests must have their videos uploaded to the CEDC website by 11:59:59am today.

April 7: Classroom videos available for public viewing
Videos will be posted on the Classroom Energy Diet Challenge website for the public to view and "like" their favorite video submission.

April 24, 2014 at 11:59:59 a.m. EST: Classroom Energy Diet Challenge closes.

April 30: Contest winners notified
The winning classrooms will be notified of their prizes.
 

More Information

Classroom Energy Diet Challenge website:  energydiet.canadiangeogrpahic.ca

SOURCE: Shell Canada Limited