Lights Out Canada 2010 Schools

Many high schools and classes came up with creative ways to host Lights Out in their schools. In Parksville, the Grade 11 physics class took the opportunity to do a lab involving candles. In Burnaby, Alpha Secondary is designing a scavenger hunt to engage students for this spring's event. At a high school in Montague, PEI went all out and turned off all electrical appliances in the school for the event! Let us know what your school is planning and we'll post it here as well!

The Lights Out Team made many observations from our first event, on May 12th, 2006 that pleasantly surprised us. For a Friday afternoon, the school was unusually calm. Students enjoyed the serene environment of having their schools naturally lit. Having the lights off was more effective than we predicted because as soon as students walked in, they noticed the lights were off, asked why, and discussion about Lights Out and its aims, was stimulated. We also observed that although teachers did not always follow the lesson plans directly, there was at least discussion at the start of the day. Debate was a popular form which also achieved our aims as the discussions brought up many of the points in the lesson plans. Students were especially susceptible to this information because it was coming from their peers. Having the lights off did not impede the classroom routine or safety. A favourite observation of the Lights Out Team was that the event brought together students from all different groups. The academic inclination of the student, or group of friends they belonged to did not matter. Lights Out encouraged the participation of all students which was entirely fitting with the nature of our message: that global warming will affect all of us, no matter who you are or where you live.

Lights Out London-- A group of seven students from the United World College of the Adriatic went on a project week to London. They did presentations in Primary Schools about global warming, what they can do to affect change, and how their school can participate in Lights Out World. The group also met with the director of the Women's Environmental Network (www.wen.org.uk), and David Mayer de Rothschild, founder of Adventure Ecology (www.adventureecology.com)

Lights Out 2009