Jenn Vetter

Communication Leadership
• Responsible for and manage all aspects of the content, design, layout and publication of the EcoSchools' online resources on an annual basis to support environmental awareness and protection, energy conservation, waste management, protection of the biosphere, and outdoor education.
• Create, author, and circulate 12+ EcoSchools E-Newsletter and Bulletins annually to 4,000 subscribers within and outside of the TDSB.
• Promote and feature EcoSchools special events, school community initiatives and best practices on social media informing over 5,800 followers.
• Provide clear and succinct communications for use by TDSB Communications staff to effectively inform the wider TDSB community of system wide environmental initiatives (e.g., Direct Line, System Leader's Bulletin, TDSB Connects, News You Can Use, TDSB external and internal websites).
• Provide the vision for and oversee the development of graphic design for guides, banners, brochures, websites and posters.

Project Management
• Worked in collaboration to redesign, rebuild, and maintain the web architecture and content of the online EcoSchools certification program.
• Lead the implementation of the annual EcoSchools database system upgrades and updates ensuring functionality and integrity of the custom developed system for over 440 TDSB schools within the TDSB IT framework.
• Coordinate with City of Toronto staff annually to implement system wide environmental initiatives engaging 139,000 students across the TDSB
• Managed the TDSB's Project Refill Program to provide Water Refill Stations to schools through an equitable selection process. From November 2020 to August 2021, with the support of the TDSB plumbing team we replaced over 800 drinking fountains with a water bottle filling station/fountain unit, at 479 schools. This brought all schools up to a standard of 1 filling station for every 250 students.

Building and supporting Schools and Communities

• Oversee the EcoSchools certification program for K-12 schools, to support our students in environmental learning and climate action.
• Assess and provide valuable feedback and recommendations to empower schools engaged in the EcoSchools Certification Process by conducting on-site audits, evaluating submitted applications, and providing meaningful written summaries of ways to move forward. Directly support and build strong rapport with individual school EcoTeams through phone, email, and on-site visits.
• Collaboratively facilitate, organize, and implement workshops, events and conferences annually, to serve educators and students to strengthen and foster ecological literacy within schools and across the TDSB.
• Work in collaboration to implement the Ontario Ministry of Education's Policy Framework Acting Today, Shaping Tomorrow to promote changes in personal behaviour and organizational practices that allow schools to minimize their ecological footprint, while also fostering greater community
engagement in meeting that goal.
• Hire, train and mentor interns to support TDSB staff and increase the capacity of the department to deliver the EcoSchools program and develop resources, guides, websites, and workshops.
• Build positive working relationships and provide ongoing support to TDSB partners to increase their capacity to deliver beneficial environmental programs to schools (e.g., EcoSpark, Professor Pricklethorn, Fashion Takes Action, Number 9, OISE, EcoSchools Canada, Springbay)
• Active member of the EcoSchools Canada Program Advisory Committee (EPAC) for the past 12 years as the TDSB representative.
o Collaborate regularly with the Co-Executive Directors of EcoSchools Canada and staff from other school Boards to implement sustainable environmental education initiatives at schools throughout the Country.
o Strategically design programs, resources, and initiatives to support students Canada-wide to effect positive environmental change in their communities.
o Work collaboratively with staff to assess the effectiveness of certification and design program improvements to grow the EcoSchools program throughout Canada.

o Strategized and collaborated with Ontario EcoSchools staff and other Board reps to create and develop a national EcoSchools program that was launched across the country in the Fall of 2020.

Communication Leadership

• Responsible for and managed all aspects of the content, design, layout and publication of over 15 EcoSchools Guides and Certification Toolkits on an annual basis to support environmental awareness and protection, energy conservation, waste management, protection of the biosphere, and outdoor education.

• Created, authored, and circulated 6-12 EcoSchools E-Newsletter and Bulletins annually for over 10 years to 4,000 subscribers within and outside of the TDSB.

• Promoted and featured EcoSchools special events, school Community initiatives and best practices actively on social media (e.g., Twitter, EcoSchools.ca) informing 3,800 followers.

• Provided clear and succinct communications for use by TDSB Communications staff that effectively informed the wider TDSB community of system wide environmental initiatives (e.g., Direct Line, System Leader's Bulletin, TDSB Connects, News You Can Use, TDSB external and internal websites).

• Led the rebranding and creation of the EcoSchools style guide to be compatible with the TDSB style guidelines. Provided the vision for and oversaw the development of the graphic design for numerous guides, banners, brochures, websites and posters.

Project Management

• Worked in collaboration to design and build the architecture and content of the online EcoSchools certification program.

• Led the implementation of annual EcoSchools database system upgrades and updates for over 9 years, ensuring functionality and integrity of the custom developed system for over 440 TDSB schools within the TDSB IT framework.

• Supervised and managed the redesign and rebuild of the Facilities Services and EcoSchools websites during a two year period, creating content by collaborating with five facilities departments. Composed role profiles and web maps for all of Facilities Services including managers, supervisors and reporting staff.

• Coordinated with City of Toronto staff to implement system wide environmental initiatives engaging 139,000 students annually for the past 9 years.

• Managed the TDSB's Large Tree Planting and Project Refill Programs over the past 9 years. Created an equitable selection criterion to serve all 22 Wards within the TDSB. Coordinated onsite visits balancing the needs of technical and school staff, and provided related supports to school EcoTeams through education and direct contact.

Building and supporting Schools and communities

• Assessed and provided valuable feedback and recommendations to empower schools engaged in the EcoSchools Certification Process by conducting on-site audits, evaluating submitted applications, and providing meaningful written summaries of ways to move forward. Directly supported and built strong rapport with individual school EcoTeams through phone, email, and on-site visits.

• Collaboratively facilitated, organized, and implemented workshops, events and conferences,serving educators and students for over 8 years, strengthening and fostering ecoliteracy within schools and across the TDSB.

• Worked in collaboration to implement the Ontario Ministry of Education's Policy Framework Acting Today, Shaping Tomorrow to promote changes in personal behaviour and organizational practices that allow schools to minimize their ecological footprint, while also fostering greater community engagement in meeting that goal.

• Hired, trained and mentored 20 interns to support TDSB staff and increase the capacity of the department to deliver the EcoSchools program and develop resources, guides, websites, and workshops.

• Built positive working relationships and provided ongoing support to TDSB partners to increase their capacity to deliver beneficial environmental programs to schools (e.g., Earth Day Canada/OPAL, Bag2School, Evergreen, Fashion Takes Action, Kids Growing City, Planet in Focus, OISE, Ontario EcoSchools)

• Active member of the Ontario EcoSchools Program Advisory Committee (EPAC) for 3 years as the TDSB representative.

o Collaborated regularly with the Executive and Associate Directors of Ontario EcoSchools and staff from other school Boards to implement sustainable environmental education initiatives at schools throughout the province of Ontario.

o Strategically design programs, resources, and initiatives to support students province-wide to effect positive environmental change in their communities.

o Worked collaboratively with staff to assess the effectiveness of certification and design program improvements to grow the EcoSchools program throughout Ontario

• Collaboratively worked with staff and school EcoTeams to design an onsite audit process, created a more robust online certification program, and strategically planned a feedback process.
• Evaluated certification applications and conducted on-site audits, and provided valuable feedback for over 100 schools engaged in the Certification program.
• Assisted with the development of EcoSchools kick-off workshops for staff and students.
• Created and launched the first ever TDSB EcoSchools e-newsletter and assisted with creation of articles and gathering images.
• Collaborated with technical staff in the Energy Management office at the TDSB to write proposals which succeeded in obtaining Provincial grants for energy retrofits of schools.