The North Vancouver Outdoor School (NVOS) will finally be able to refurbish its 40-year old schools thanks to a $1 million donation. The North Shore Credit Union (NSCU) announced Wednesday (April 11) that the school would be the lucky recipient of the monies, which ends a year-long entry contest involving a CTV broadcasted public service announcement featuring newscaster Pamela Martin and the song "If I Had a Million Dollars."
"We're ecstatic to receive this award. The funds donated by the North Shore Credit Union will help us build an iconic gateway facility that will greatly enhance the capacity and programming at the North Vancouver Outdoor School." said John Lewis, superintendent of North Vancouver School District #44.
The school operates under the mandate that a true appreciation of nature and delicate ecosystems takes more than a passive eye. Education and a comprehensive notion of how to preserve and protect wild places is the key to a sustainable future and the NVOS, based in Paradise Valley, has been promoting such tools since 1969.
A new multifunctional building will be named after the credit union and will provide outdoor environmental and cultural education to more than 10,000 children, students, teachers and adults annually.
"The Environmental Learning Centre will provide a lasting legacy to reconnect with nature and build a better community through human understanding of our unique and biologically diverse environment," said Lewis.
Upon completion in 2009, the facility will play host to workshops, seminars and outdoor learning experiences that focus on environmental stewardship, cultural history, science, arts, community building and personal growth.
The NSCU Charitable Foundation decided last year to dissolve its charity model and requested non-profit organizations apply for the remaining assets.
The NSCU board of trustees selected the NVOS from a short-list of three nonprofit groups and 140 expressions of interest.
The judges were looking for a meaningful community project that demonstrated the physical, environmental and/or financial wellness of the local communities served by the credit union. NVOS made it into the top three along with the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation, which is building a stand alone hospice and the West Coast Alternatives Society, a group that provides support for children of addicts.
"While all three finalists have extremely worthy projects that the North Shore Credit Union would be proud to support, ultimately we selected the North Vancouver Outdoor School's Environmental Learning Centre because of the innovative programs it offers to all ages to foster sustainability and environmental and cultural education," said N.S.C.U. Foundation's chair, Sue Adams.
