Environment Community Outreach | Environment

The Environment Outreach team raises awareness of the world's most urgent environmental challenges, and motivates students and the public to take action. In collaboration with professors, students and staff, the outreach team promotes sustainable solutions and a vision for a better world in our communities and beyond.

Workshops and Booths

Free curriculum-linked workshops and engaging event booths! Request a workshop or booth!

Field Trips

Visit campus to explore labs, experience hands-on learning, and meet current students. Book a campus visit!

Envirothon

Learn more about your regional Ontario Envirothon and how to join.

Workshops

Environment Outreach brings university-level topics into high school classrooms — designed to match your students’ learning level and connect to the Ontario curriculum. Our free workshops, created by Environment students and professors, make complex ideas engaging and accessible.

Please note: The listed grades are recommendations only. Most workshops can be adapted to best fit your class needs!

Climate Action Workshops

Carbon Detectives: Gr. 9 (Available starting November 1st, 2025)

How do you individually impact our climate? Students calculate their own carbon footprints, and discover small lifestyle changes they can make to reduce their emissions. They build a “carbon budget ladder” on the wall with post-its to view the range of impacts.

Future Forecast: Gr. 10 (Available starting November 1st, 2025)

Simulate climate scenarios with an online climate simulator (C-ROADS) and debate mitigation strategies as a group.

Food and Climate Lab: Gr. 11 (Available starting November 1st, 2025)

Students compare the carbon impacts of meals and design a “low-carbon lunch menu” for their school.

Extreme Weather Challenge: Gr. 12 (Available starting November 1st, 2025)

Use maps & datasets to predict how extreme weather could impact a fictional community, then design adaptation solutions.

Urban Growth Workshops

Build-A-City: Gr. 9

Turn your ideas into a city! Use Lego or tokens to design a miniature metropolis, balancing homes, transit, and green spaces. Who can create the most functional—and fun—cityscape?

Transit for Tomorrow: Gr. 10

Be the brains behind a city on the move! Plan a transit network that’s fast, affordable, and eco-friendly. Can your routes keep up with a growing population?

Density Dilemmas: Gr. 11

Crack the code of urban living! Explore the challenges of high-density neighbourhoods versus suburban sprawl, using puzzles and case studies to make tough planning choices.

Smart City Hack: Gr. 12

Invent the city of the future! Design innovative solutions like smart sensors, green roofs, or community hubs to tackle real urban challenges and make city life smarter and greener.

Natural Resources Workshops

Biodiversity: Gr. 9 (Available starting November 1st, 2025)

Discover the difference between native and invasive plants, and explore why biodiversity is essential for a healthy planet! In this hands-on activity, students will create their own seed balls to take home and plant, helping local native plants and pollinators thrive.

Plant Identification: Gr. 11

Become a plant detective! Learn how to identify plants by their leaves, bark, size, and habitat, and discover why plant ID matters in real-world careers. In small teams, take on a “mystery plant” challenge and show the class how you solved it using your detective skills and tools like ID manuals and measuring tape.

Ecosystems: Gr. 12 (Available starting November 1st, 2025)

Coming soon!

Sustainability Workshops

Greenwashing: Gr. 9

Can you spot the fake green? Dive into the world of greenwashing, where products look eco-friendly but might just be clever marketing tricks. Students put their detective skills to the test by separating truly sustainable items from the ‘greenwashed’ imposters—while uncovering the sneaky tactics companies use to sell more stuff.

Sustainability Scorecard: Gr. 10

Step into the role of a sustainability investigator! Students will examine a typical school day, tracking energy use, waste, and transportation. Using their findings, they’ll work in small teams to create a mini-action plan with practical ideas to make their school greener and more sustainable.

Sustainable Fashion: Gr. 11

Step into the world of fashion with a sustainability twist! Students will explore how the clothes we wear impact the environment and society, from the chemicals used in production to the lives of workers around the world. Discover the secrets of textile waste, and brainstorm creative solutions for a more ethical and eco-friendly wardrobe.

Sustainability and Financial Management: Gr. 12 (Available starting November 1st, 2025)

Coming soon!

Geographic Data Science Workshops

Take Your Shot: Gr. 10

Interested in the world of sports blogging or sports analytics? Students will explore data spatial tracking within the sports industry, while creating, analyzing and comparing shot efficiency charts for their favourite NBA basketball players through code. This workshop is a peek behind the curtain of how the best sports media outlets produce their graphics, and demonstrate how knowledge in employable skills like coding, mapping, and statistics can be applied to sports! No coding experience is required.

Find your Program in Environment Workshop

Find your Program in Environment

Learn what possibilities await in the Faculty of Environment at Waterloo! Book a workshop today, to hear what current students are doing on- and off-campus in labs, field courses and co-ops. Ask your questions and learn all about how an Environment program can set you up for a great career.

Please note: This workshop is available in-person and online.