Welcome to the Blue Community movement!
We would love to have your school join by becoming a Blue Community School.
A Blue Community School joins towns and cities, faith-based and Indigenous communities, and universities in pledging to protect water and advocate for water justice.
A Blue Community School understands that teaching young people about the planet’s precious and irreplaceable water heritage is vital to preserving life on Earth.
A Blue Community School commits to educating students about the water crisis – globally and here in Canada – and the need to protect water and watersheds.
A Blue Community School thinks and teaches “blue.”
A Blue Community School understands that the lack of access to clean water and sanitation is a human rights violation and commits to learning and teaching about water justice.
A Blue Community School realizes that our collective addiction to plastics is harming ourselves and the environment and commits to take measures to lessen our plastics footprint.
Educational Resources
We offer here many resources for teachers to use in introducing their students to the need to care for water. Here you will find books, films and articles appropriate for all ages K to 12. As well, there are resources for educators to keep you up-to-date with the latest reports from the UN and others on the state of the world’s water.
water in Canada
We provide up-to-date information on the state of water in Canada and new initiatives in addressing access to water in First Nations communities. You will find information on the water crisis in different parts of Canada, what communities are doing to face the crisis and what governments at all levels are doing to address it.
Water Defenders
We have a great section called Water Defenders to introduce you to organizations and allies – including First Nations water defenders – fighting for water protection and water justice in Canada. We offer you and your students stories of hope and resilience as well as exciting new initiatives, including the Rights of Rivers and the Right to a Healthy Environment.
How to certify to become a Blue Community School
Most importantly, we invite your school to become a Blue Community School. Beyond accessing the resources here to do with water, we think it imperative that institutions of learning take a public stand in defence of protecting water and promoting water justice. We humans have seen water as a resource for our convenience and pleasure, and now must shift our view to seeing water as a sacred source of life.
We invite your school to become a Blue Community School by taking these three pledges:
Educate about water and the need to protect it.
Recognize the universal human rights to clean water and sanitation.
Ban or phase out the sale of bottled water at schools where clean tap water is available.
We will help you celebrate your becoming a Blue Community School with a certificate and suggestion for next steps.
ENDORSEMENTS
Jane Fonda
Actor and climate activist
“It is crucial that we teach children from a very young age to protect the world’s threatened water and to ensure that no one goes without. I heartily endorse Blue Community Schools.”
Steps to Become A Blue Community School
- Let us know you’re interested!
- We’ll send you the information you need to get started.
- Fulfill the pledges!
- Identify & implement the steps your school will take to recognize and uphold the human right to water and end the sale of bottled water.
- Share your work with us, and let us celebrate with you!
- Sign & send the fulfilled pledges back to us.
Keep in Touch
We encourage all schools to keep us informed of their progress and lessons they are using in classrooms. And please visit our interactive map of Blue Community Schools.
