Sustainability Bursary

Throughout his four years at Markham District HS, Arjun participated in the school’s environment club, EcoMarkham, serving as Communications Coordinator, Secretary-Treasurer and Co-President. As a member of EcoMarkham, he helped lead and sustain multiple environmental initiatives including the school’s ink cartridge recycling program, the completion of its decade-long Living Wall project and the establishment of a pollinator garden. He also organized environmental awareness campaigns, such as the school’s Earth Strike campaign in September 2019, which educated over 500 Markham District HS students. Arjun recently became involved with the Markham Environmental Youth Council aiming to continue his environmental work on a Markham-wide scale. He is currently studying engineering at McMaster University and plans to join the McMaster Energy Association, which is the first student-led initiative on green energy in Canada.

Carina participated in multiple environmental clubs and events throughout her time at Bur Oak SS. She’s served as a member of the school’s Zero Footprint club promoting environmental awareness within the school, as well as a student leader of Mission Zero, a club aiming to reduce the school’s waste, and competed in Envirothon, an annual environmentally themed academic competition for secondary students, since Grade 9. She’s also involved in environmental activities within the Markham community including TD Tree Days where she planted trees at Milne Park, Bio-Blitz where she assisted in taking inventory of birds, plants and bats, and Earth Day Celebrations where she educated the public on volcanic lightning. Carina is currently studying environmental engineering at the University of Waterloo.

Dexter discovered his passion for the environment in Grade 10 while studying the environmental effects of chemicals used throughout communities during winter conditions. He then joined Thornlea’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) team, which focuses on projects supporting the protection of the environment. In his final year on the STEM team at Thornlea SS, Dexter worked on creating an algae farm to turn algae into biofuel. As a member of the STEM team, he also traveled to local elementary schools to educate students there about environmental sustainability and encourage them to strive towards creating solutions to environmental problems regardless of their age. Dexter is currently studying engineering at the University of Waterloo.