Ladysmith Primary students strutted their stuff in the school’s gymnasium on Friday, May 1, to show off their “trashion” outfits, as part of the school’s zero waste education project with the Regional District of Nanaimo. (Photo Mandy Moraes)
By Mandy Moraes, NLPS staff
About five years ago, Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools teamed up with the Regional District of Nanaimo to launch the Zero Waste Education Pilot Project. The initiative was designed to bring climate change, sustainability, and environmental stewardship into classrooms through hands-on, creative learning.
At Ladysmith Primary, the program has taken root in a way that’s both meaningful and fun, woven through a series of themed learning weeks across the school year.
“Our theme was ‘trash to treasure,’” said librarian Ashley Roth. “It’s about taking the waste we produce at school and turning it into something valuable. And something we can collaborate on as a team.”
The learning began during Literacy Week, where students explored the growing issue of plastic waste and microplastics in the ocean. Roth said building that connection was key.
“Our students live right by the ocean, so it felt important that they understand their relationship to it,” she said.
Building on this momentum, the ideas were carried forward.
“It just kind of flowed throughout the year,” Roth said. “We started thinking, ‘let’s bring this into Story Workshop, let’s bring it into our art projects.’ And then Fine Arts Week came along.”
An idea sparked after Roth came across an online “trash fashion” show. It’s something she initially wished they had done earlier, but the timing turned out to be perfect.
“Someone said, ‘What about Fine Arts Week?’ And it all came together from there.”
Students were given about two weeks to design and create wearable art using recycled materials from home and school. For another project included in Fine Arts week, students created art from recycled materials in the style of well-known artists, which culminated in a full-school art walk around the building.
In a “trashion” show finale, students proudly donned their one-of-a-kind creations and walked around the gymnasium, catwalk-style, turning everyday waste into something worth celebrating.