BURLINGTON, ON., November. 18, 2011 – Two students at Burlington’s Aldershot High School convinced nearly half the student body to commit to finding an alternate, environmentally friendly mode of transportation to school on International World Car Free Day, which was last September 22. That effort won their school’s Eco-Club, a $250 prize from Burlington Transit’s Youth Ambassador (BT YA) program.
Kayla Peters and Billi Krochuk are Burlington Transits’ Young Ambassadors at Aldershot High. Their efforts, through BT YA’s Green Monster campaign, resulted in more than 300 students and staff finding eco-friendly transportation to school on September 22, including walking, cycling and taking the bus.
Burlington Transit has ambassadors in several Burlington high schools competing for the $250 prize.
“All the YAs put on great efforts,” said BT’s marketing co-ordinator Sandra Maxwell, “but Kayla and Billi ran a great campaign with great results.”
The program, in partnership with BurlingtonGreen, was launched this fall and encourages students to spread the word that public transit and other forms of environmentally friendly transportation are key to preserving the environment for future generations.
“It’s inspiring to see young people embrace environmental challenges in such a positive way,” said BT director Donna Shepherd. “This group of young leaders will help keep Burlington green and sustainable in the future. We expect this program to grow considerably in the next few years.”