In January 2025, members of the Cold Lake High School Envi-Royals club led over a dozen interactive shark workshops for students across Northern Lights Public Schools. Participants included Life Skills students from Bonnyville Centralized High School and CLHS, as well as Grade 3 classes from Cold Lake Elementary, North Star Elementary, Art Smith Aviation Academy, Ardmore School, Duclos School, and Glendon School. The workshops will also be presented to the CLHS Best Buddies program on March 19.
The initiative was inspired by CLHS teacher Jen Dusyk-Johnson, who was selected to participate in the Shark Teacher & Educators Course at the Bimini Shark Lab in The Bahamas in August 2024. She shared her experiences with Envi-Royals students, and her enthusiasm spread to the students, who wanted to continue to share what they had learned with others. In collaboration with Grade 3 teachers throughout the Division, they developed an engaging, hands-on learning experience to teach younger students about sharks and their ecosystems, which ties into the Grade 3 science curriculum.
The CLHS students researched various shark and ray species and created the presentation that would be delivered at the elementary school level. Cassandra Rogers, a Grade 12 student at CLHS, designed the logos for what became known as the "Shark Ambassador" program and led a team in producing over 300 custom buttons for participating students. Fellow Grade 12 student Grey Wickstrand contributed her artistic skills by illustrating marine organism displays used in food chain activities. The students played a key role in designing and delivering the program.
Each workshop was facilitated by a handful of CLHS students, along with Mrs. Angela Nagoya and Mrs. Dusyk-Johnson. The workshops began with a pre-survey to assess students’ existing knowledge about sharks, followed by a short video introducing the Bimini Shark Lab and its research and conservation efforts. High school students then led interactive lessons on various shark and ray species before guiding younger students in hands-on activities, including building food chains using painted marine organism cards and a simulation of shark tagging and data collection.
A highlight of the workshop was the Mangrove Tag game, where high school students played the role of large sharks while younger students, acting as baby sharks, learned how mangroves provide essential protection. Through various scenarios, such as hurricanes and habitat destruction, students gained a deeper understanding of conservation and the importance of critical marine habitats.
At the conclusion of each workshop, the younger students were officially recognized as new Shark Ambassadors. The program was a valuable experience for all involved, demonstrating how environmental conservation can be a meaningful and exciting career path.
The Envi-Royals look forward to continuing their Shark Ambassador program and further engaging with students in environmental education initiatives in the future.
