Learn About Us
Green Schools Nova Scotia is an exciting initiative brought to you by Efficiency Nova Scotia to enhance environmental sustainability at schools. This free program helps support students, teachers, and the larger school community as they learn to waste less and become more energy efficient.
Reducing energy consumption is the best way to mitigate climate change, and we are focused on energy! While we start from that foundation, we cover a spectrum of environmental concerns including energy, waste, water, transportation, and food. There are five pillars to the Green Schools NS program: Getting Started With Energy, Minimizing Waste, Using Water Responsibly, Living and Moving Green, and Supporting Local.
Engagement Officers work with students, teachers, and school communities across the province to strengthen sustainable behaviour that helps the Earth. The program supports community efforts to reduce energy waste and to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. Through curriculum linked education, resources, presentations, and initiatives, Green Schools community members can discover more about the impact of consumption habits, and how to waste less.
Using resources efficiently and considering our environmental footprint are necessary skills as the global community unites to address climate change. The foundational experience students gain from Green Schools NS cultivates sustainable choices and behaviours that stick around for good.
Meet Our Team
Shandel Brown
Shandel joined the Green Schools team in January 2016 as the Engagement Officer for Cape Breton and is now the Program Coordinator. Originally from Alberta, Shandel has been slowly making her way around the country, recently making Cape Breton her home. She explored the west coast of British Columbia while taking a Liberal Arts and Science degree at Quest University Canada. Quest broadened her world view and prompted her to question our relationship with the Earth’s complex ecosystems. After a year of learning French and teaching English in Sherbrooke, Québec, Shandel made her first visit to the Maritimes for a summer job in Chéticamp, Cape Breton. Her master’s degree in Environment and Resource Studies from the University of Waterloo allowed her to return to Nova Scotia to study how a sense of place affects fishermens’ ability to deal with climate change and other social and economic changes. Shandel recently came back to her farming roots when she moved to a fifth generation farm in the picturesque Margaree Valley where she now lives with her partner, Ben. When she’s not encouraging kids to play outside, grow vegetables and reduce energy consumption, you can find her cross-country skiing or feeding her pet calf named Coo.
Ruvi Mugara
Ruvi is originally from the small country of Zimbabwe, in Africa and she joined the Green Schools team back in 2018, as an Engagement Officer. Growing up in Africa meant she learnt all about resource conservation at a very young age, and has always been aware of how fortunate we are to have the earth provide us with everything we would need.
She is a real DIY queen and believes we can repurpose anything old into something new and beautiful with a little love and patience. She is a mom of 2 kids, and so when not working, you can catch her enjoying walks or working on a craft with her kiddies.
Rebecca Teddiman
Rebecca has a background in education and environmental engineering technology. She is passionate about the environment and enjoys encouraging others to develop a relationship with the natural world.
Rebecca also finds pleasure in inspiring youth to engage in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) activities.
Outside of engaging students about energy efficiency, Rebecca enjoys horseback riding, painting, sewing, and gardening. She is married with one child and a little cat named Talisker. Together they enjoy hiking, camping, and exploring the amazing places and spaces throughout Nova Scotia.
Faith Farrell
Faith is excited to join Green Schools NS as the Northern Engagement Officer! She was born and raised in Trenton, Nova Scotia, and recently graduated from StFX with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. Faith has always been passionate about conservation and the environment, and being from Nova Scotia it is hard not to appreciate all of the beauty around us!
In her free time, she can be found hanging out with bunny Beans, camping, gardening, or at one of her favorite places, Trenton Park! Faith loves to try new things, this summer she learned to crochet and started kayaking. During the summer Faith works as a camp counselor and is excited to meet so many new friends and maybe see some familiar faces!
Angie VanKessel
Angie did so great in the previous school year that we are excited to have her support the team as the interim program coordinator! With over 15 years of experience developing and delivering fun presentations on environmentally sustainable practices through both professional and volunteer activities for a wide range of ages, the Green Schools initiative aligns perfectly with her personal goals
As a horticulturist, she has always had a passion for the environment and sharing her nature-friendly growing with students and members of her community. Her favorite topic is soil, which may sound boring to most but she likes to say, “soil is the immune system and the digestive system of a plant” so it’s really important to keep it healthy.
When she’s not teaching about caring for the environment and the soil, Angie can be found either exploring the woods with her kids, Nick and Caroline or driving them to their many activities (Mom’s Taxi). She is also a proud mom of two retired racehorses, Pasta Vera and Fedora – recycling isn’t just for plastics and these two have proven they have so much more to offer after the track.
Angie is an enthusiastic supporter! She and her son sell lemonade to help Type 1’s cover costs to go to D-Camps each summer and they actively help out other T1D families to find the support they need to deal with this diagnosis. She also loves motivating and helping local entrepreneurs find the network to support them or sort through their ideas.
Meaghan Tobin
Meaghan returns to us as the Engagement Officer for the Cape Breton region. Meaghan studied Natural Resources Environmental Technology and received a degree in Environmental Engineering. While she was a student, she enjoyed lots of exciting environmental work such as stream restorations, bat monitoring, wildlife rehabilitation, and forest technician responsibilities. After graduating from university, Meaghan moved to South Korea to teach English for six years gaining lots of valuable teaching experience.
When Meaghan isn’t busy engaging students regarding energy efficiency, You can find her enjoying the outdoors and the many activities available such as hiking, swimming, and kayaking. She often curls up to a good movie or tv show in the evenings to wind down and of course, she loves to travel and experience new things and learn about the world!
Sandford Hubbard
Sandford is a recent graduate from the Community Development program at Acadia University and is looking forward to bringing his energy and enthusiasm to classrooms as the CSAP Engagement Officer.
Growing up in Halifax, Sandford spent his childhood camping and hiking with his family all over the Maritimes. After years as a camp counselor, Sandford’s love for the outdoors led him across Canada, running outdoor education programs in Alberta and British Columbia.
Sandford has experience working in schools as an EPA at Chebucto Heights Elementary and as a French Language Monitor at Rockingham Elementary, and he is excited to return to Nova Scotian classrooms to promote energy sustainability!