News

Pursuing a career in music education was a dream for Ann L. Schultz (BA 1990) who was always passionate about making music. After finishing a degree in music at Conrad Grebel College, Ann completed a Bachelor of Education and began her teaching career at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate in 1991, becoming head of the music program there in 1997.

When it comes to Grebel’s responsibility for a sustainable environment, there is a long (and expensive) to-do list. An engineering firm just completed an environmental audit of our campus. They have suggested dozens of ways we can reduce our carbon footprint and other environmental impacts—ideas that range from replacing residence windows, to upgraded heating and cooling systems, to smart thermostats, to solar panels. The list is long, but we know that future generations demand that we work at it. Present generations of alumni and students certainly expect us to act, and they have the expertise to help us.

Sit Spots, inspired by the work of Jon Young, a renowned nature connection and culture repair mentor, form a foundational practice of this course and the basis for our exploration of the connections between peace and conflict to the environment. This is part of what sets this course apart from other environmental courses offered at UWaterloo. 

At Grebel, sustainability and the environment are of great importance to students. From campfires after dark at Orientation Week, to weekends spent outdoors building community at Camp Trillium, to vibrant Environment Committee meetings, creation is a central part of life here.

Climate change is a threat to archives and other centres of knowledge. Around the world, cultural heritage and community memory is threatened by fires, floods, severe weather, and environmental conflicts.

This year, Grebel officially joined Sustainable Waterloo Region’s Regional Sustainability Initiative. As a member, Grebel will share and learn best practices with other like-minded organizations.

Grebel Alumni are scattered across the globe, pursuing a vast assortment of vocations and lifestyles. With a focus on the care of our earth, the following profiles highlight a just a few of the interesting, intentional, and invaluable work some Grebel alumni are pursuing.

When the pandemic first closed down workplaces in March 2020, Simon Guthrie, like so many others at the time, found himself struggling to make sense of the world around him. 

Third-year PACS student Samuel Farkas spent his summer with his hands in the earth, planting 110,000 saplings in clear-cut areas of British Columbia.

In June of 1999, Ed Janzen began his role as Chaplain at Grebel, with experience, energy, and passion. He came with a desire to serve the College and with the perspective that service needs to be relational from beginning to end.