At the beginning of summer, Relay Education welcomed 130 students from local Toronto schools to our annual Kids’ World of Energy Festival, held at Exhibition Place. As our community partner, Exhibition Place provided the perfect setting for a day of exploration and learning.
What made this event extra special is that we returned to the site where it all began 18 years ago. Back in 2008, Relay Education held the first Kids’ World of Energy Festival at the base of Toronto’s wind turbine at Exhibition Place, bringing together hundreds of students over multiple days.
We’re grateful for our community partnership with Exhibition Place and our shared commitment to sustainability. Collaborations like this allow us to deliver meaningful programming that helps students build their understanding of renewable energy and the environment.
For many of these students, the day was more than a field trip. It was an opportunity to explore renewable energy and sustainability through hands-on learning experiences, which are designed to inspire and empower the next generation of green leaders.
“Hands-on learning is meaningful and is at the heart of Relay Education’s programs. The Kids’ World of Energy Festival enriches students’ learning by giving them the opportunity to see renewable energy up close. Standing beneath the wind turbine and exploring how the technology works through our science experiments creates a more engaging and immersive experience,” shared Abasi Sanders, Youth Programs Manager, Relay Education.
Students participated in interactive activities throughout the day, while exploring North America’s first urban wind turbine. For many of the participants, it was also their first opportunity to see a wind turbine in person, transforming classroom concepts into real-world experiences.
The Toronto wind turbine was built in 2002 by WindShare, a renewable energy co-operative, who had a vision for a community driven wind project. It was built back at a time when public information and understanding of renewable energy was lacking in Canada. Relay Education created the Kids’ World of Energy Festival to bring these topics to light for students and the public.
Now, almost two decades later the Kids’ World of Energy Festival has educated over 40,000 children and adults about the science and solutions of renewable energy. Today our programs have expanded far beyond Toronto and we reach over 40,000 participants every year globally.
“We’re so happy to return to the place where our programs began more than 18 years ago as we continue teaching today’s youth about renewable energy and solutions to climate change,” said Abasi Sanders, Youth Programs Manager, Relay Education.