The Village Sustainable Design Challenge 

In 2023, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) accepted official ownership of what was formerly operated as the Children’s Safety Village, located within Fanshawe Conservation Area. Since then, the UTRCA has been assessing the property and exploring possibilities for future uses of the site.  

Over the past several months, approximately 350 students from 14 Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) schools have also been working on re-envisioning the Children’s Safety Village through “The Sustainable Design Project.”  

Spearheaded by Destreaming Classroom Support Teachers at the TVDSB, the Sustainable Design Project was created to teach grade 6, 7, and 8 students about three key pillars of sustainability (water, waste, and energy). For the project, we created a video that showcased the former Children’s Safety Village along with the idea to make the space a centre to learn about sustainability and climate change.  

The students were challenged to create a design for a sustainable building for the village. Through in-class discussions and open exploration, the students learned about different aspects of sustainability, and how they are connected to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. They designed the buildings using CAD Design programs (Tinkercad, SketchUp), Minecraft: Education Edition, and Makedo Kits to create physical models. Students then pitched their ideas back to UTRCA Education and Community Partnerships staff in a virtual student conference.  

The project was a great success and a win-win for both organizations. UTRCA staff came away with some fantastic ideas for the future of the former Safety Village and TVDSB leads were excited to be able to partner with the UTRCA offering students an authentic and engaging learning opportunity rooted in real-world problems and experience.