You Can’t BEAT This! Leading the Way to a Greener Brentwood

9 March 2026Kionah W, Allard ‘27

Our Brentwood Environmental Advocacy Team (BEAT) always takes on new activities! Running the entire school year, this very popular and vital group is dedicated to a very important mission: fostering a greener Brentwood community and a healthier planet. 

From fun and fantastic pop-up events to schoolwide initiatives, BEAT can do it all! This amazing club is made possible by the guidance of Mr Ganley, Ms Mack, and BFAs Ms Roy & Ms Nice, whose passion for environmental stewardship helps turn ideas into reality. “They are super helpful when it comes to letting us run a new initiative or giving us opportunities to volunteer within the community,” shares Sterling R, Mack ‘27.  Here’s a look at what BEAT has been up to this term. 

On February 4th, Brentwood joined the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Canada for National Sweater Day. This annual event encourages Canadians to turn down the thermostat by 2 degrees Celsius to showcase the power of energy conservation in the fight against climate change. To take part, the school lowered temperatures and recommended that students bundle up and wear a cozy sweater. To see the impact of this small change, we measured our energy consumption before, during and after this event. 

In late February, 18 BEAT students attended the ISABC Student Sustainability Conference at UBC: This conference focuses on climate action, environmental justice and sustainability through workshops, networking and hands-on learning. Tom C, Michael Q, Zhao L, Sterling R, Liza D, Lila C, Joanna F, Kiana L, Tema BC and Lila C not only attended the conference workshops, but also shared a presentation entitled Finding Fun in Climate Action in front of a large audience of enthusiastic students from Grades 6-12. The group shared the BEAT activities they have sponsored this year that combine joy and climate action: the interhouse rap contest, apple harvesting, applesauce making, baking with local ingredients, video making, jam making, clothing swaps, and thrifting were a few of their recommendations.

Juliana V also had the honour to speak at the opening ceremonies, while Tema BC documented the experience with articles for the school and ISABC websites, and capturing every moment from behind the lens, Kate M was the official photographer. 

During the school’s Spirit Week, BEAT introduced the Interhouse Eco-Rap: Beats for BEAT! This event was created to get the houses involved in a fun, creative way to raise environmental awareness. House Reps were tasked with creating their own music to accompany their original lyrics to create their rap. With multiple impressive and hilarious submissions to the challenge, ultimately Alex House took home the crown for the best bars to protect what’s ours: the Earth! 

During Kindness Week, held from February 16th to 20th, BEAT featured a fun initiative: The Great Gulp, linked to World Water Day. As an oceanfront campus, we have a responsibility to protect our local waters. With over 5 trillion pieces of plastic afloat in our world’s oceans and plastic water bottles taking over 1,000 years to biodegrade, our goal was to eliminate single-use plastics in favour of reusable vessels (SDG12). To encourage this shift and participate in an early World Water Day, our BEAT offered The Great Gulp, where students earn an extra stamp at McNeill’s just for bringing their own reusable cups! 

“I’m really pleased with all of the initiatives the students have contributed to this term. Their initiatives to advocate for the environment are so admirable,” said Mr Ganley, BEAT Teacher Sponsor since September 2022. “There are also under the radar initiatives like Julian C, Privett ‘27 speaking to the three Entre classes about how to ensure their Regatta businesses are as eco-friendly as possible. Their food and serving decisions can have a huge impact on the carbon footprint of the Regatta.”

BEAT ended the term with a Trail Cleanup, led by Ms Nice. Thanks to Joanna, Kiana and Mariana, who trimmed weeds, swept debris and picked up a winter’s worth of garbage to keep the trail from Foote to Sweat Meadows safe, pleasant and clean.

Everything BEAT does for the school community and environment is remarkable. By turning global goals into local actions, Brentwood students are proving that great change can happen within the school setting.“If every school were to participate in the number of initiatives that Brentwood does, the change we are making would be on a much larger scale,” shares Layla R, Mack ‘26 and BEAT Captain. Through education, motivation, and activation, BEAT continues to ensure that Brentwood and the surrounding community can have a sustainable future. 

What’s next?

The Spring Term will begin with a visit to the Shawnigan salmon hatchery and grow dome April 10, seven groups of students heading out to tackle eco-focused projects on Service Day, April 11, and Earth Week activities all before we even get to May! 

Together we can BEAT climate change!

Kionah W, Allard ‘27