How to Apply for Certification

More information can be found in our Guide to Online Certification but the basic steps are outlined below.

Step 1: Establish an EcoTeam (use the EcoSchools resources (guides and forms & templates) and begin to implement your school’s environmental initiatives).

Ideally the EcoTeam completes the Initial EcoReviews in the fall, creates and implements the Action Plans through the fall and winter, then completes the Follow-up EcoReviews in the spring.

There are two important dates to remember for online certification:

• January 31, 2010 is the deadline for inputting results from the Initial EcoReviews in Parts II and III of the online certification application
• April 30, 2010 is the deadline for completing and submitting the rest of the online application 

If your board does not have an EcoSchools representative and you need more information please contact us at info (at) ontarioecoschools.org.

Private schools — for important information about 2009-2010 certification, please click here.

Step 2: Register your school online – go to the certification application and follow the steps. For a short instructional video on how to register click here.

• For information about EcoSchools timeline click here

Please note that certification criteria change every year.      

Step 3: The EcoTeam should complete the Initial EcoReview(s) - a great student engagement activity to develop active citizenship skills.

• Energy Conservation EcoReview
• Waste Minimization EcoReview

Step 4: Input the results from your Initial EcoReviews into your school's online certification application before January 31st, 2010 (please note: you will still have until April 30th, 2010 to complete the rest of your application)

1. Sign in to your school's account using your user ID and password (created when you registered) 
2. Use the left hand navigation bar and click on Energy Conservation
3. Fill in the levels achieved in the Initial EcoReview (questions 2.1 to 2.9) and click 'Save' at the bottom of the page
4. Repeat steps 2 to 4 for Waste Minimization (questions 3.1-3.10)

Step 5: Implement your EcoSchools activities and conduct the Final EcoReviews at least 3 months after the Initial EcoReviews. 

Step 6:  Complete the rest of the online application using the data from the Final EcoReviews plus other information by April 30th 2010. Review the Application Summary page and then click on ‘Submit to Ontario EcoSchools’. 

Assemble all portfolio requirements needed to support your application in a duotang—check the ‘Application Summary’ section of the online application for a list of portfolio requirements for your application. In the Spring your board representative will advise you what to do with this portfolio. Site visits will be conducted in May-June of the current year.

Durham District School Board celebrates its certified EcoSchools in 2007-2008.