New outdoor classroom inspires St. Thomas students

ST. THOMAS, ON, June 23, 2015 /CNW/ - Elgin Court Public School students will enjoy a new outdoor classroom, quiet reading space and garden.

Today, the Elgin Court Community Project Team unveiled the newly redesigned schoolyard thanks in part to a $20,000 prize from CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO), Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS) and Auto Guys.

The St. Thomas elementary school is the second recipient of the 'Sustainable Revitalization' prize which includes landscaping greenery and eco-friendly products made of recycled tires.

It was all part of the 2013 RecycleDrive campaign. Out of 29 participating locations across southern Ontario, Auto Guys in St. Thomas, collected the most tires and won the opportunity to award the revitalization gift to a community school in need. The outdoor space chosen had become worn over the years and had been sitting idle.

"CAA SCO is thrilled to have been able to help Elgin Court Public School create this new space with environmentally friendly products and landscaping greenery. This was truly a community effort and we are proud to be part of it, giving back to both the school and students," said Tracy Nickleford, Community Relations Manager, CAA SCO.

"We are committed to communities across Ontario and through efforts like CAA RecycleDrive we can build more sustainable and greener spaces," said Andrew Horsman, Executive Director of OTS. "It's great to see Elgin Court Public School's transformation with eco-friendly recycled tire products and we look forward to how it will benefit the St. Thomas community."

"I think the outdoor garden provides an exciting learning environment that will provide many opportunities to learn about nature. It is a very good investment that will make coming to school even more worthwhile. The garden will be an amazing transformation to our school," said Ainsley May, Grade 7 student, Elgin Court Public School.

In the fall, we will be launching the annual CAA RecycleDrive campaign. The eco-friendly initiative runs for two weeks. We will be collecting drained batteries, used motor oil and old tires to make sure they are recycled properly and safely.

As a leader and advocate for road safety and mobility, CAA South Central Ontario is a not-for-profit auto club which represents the interests of 2 million members. For over a century, CAA has collaborated with communities, police services and governments to help keep drivers and their families safe while travelling on our roads.

SOURCE CAA South Central Ontario

Media contact: Silvana Aceto, Media and PR Consultant, CAA SCO, [email protected], Office: [phone], Cell: [phone] or Jeff LeMoine, Communications Consultant, CAA SCO [email protected], Office: [phone], Cell: [phone].