Students at Oak Bay High powered up for an emission-free bottle drive this weekend with a paint-in last night.
During the annual showcase for future students, where the school displays its myriad opportunities, the Visual Arts students painted up a Geazone Eco-Courier car in the cafeteria.
It started with an ongoing program for the arts students to rebrand and paint the courier company’s emission-free cars.
“It’s an opportunity for us to work with the business community,” said Dave Thomson, principal at Oak Bay High.
During the school’s Showcase night, students illustrate the “different and unique things they do in the visual arts programs.” The plan was to have the vehicle running, to highlight the environmental aspects of the vehicle.
“If it’s not emissions-free, if anything causes issues, we can ventilate that place in a heartbeat,” Thomson said. It highlights the environmental aspects of Oak Bay High, which boasts a half dozen or so charging stations, and three staffers who drive electric vehicles.
Greg Parish, sales and marketing for GeaZone, came up with the original plan, and augmented it to include philanthropy.
“By engaging the youth … I’ve started dialogue immediately,” Parish said. “I thought, two days later, when the cars are painted up, why don’t we just do a food drive.”
The students were also expected to paint a five-ton emission-free truck outside the building, for use in their Emission-Free Food Drive Saturday.
“There’s benefit for kids here, our visual artists get to do some work, there’s benefit for the Mustard Seed … and that’s part of our engagement in our Service and Leadership pillar at the school,” Thomson said.
Saturday, Jan. 23 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Visual Arts students and their peers will canvas the neighbourhood in an environmentally friendly food drive.
“The kids will walk and we’ll just drive with our big five-ton truck,” said Parish.
Green Party leader Elizabeth May is expected on hand at the start of the drive, to highlight environmental and community stewardship. Parish also reached out to other government leaders and the Songhees Nation for a traditional element to the event. The community will see Mustard Seed food bins wheeled around the Oak Bay High neighbourhood in a bid to stock their depleted cupboards. Food Donations can also be dropped off at Oak Bay High during that time frame.