The Greening our Communities Toolkit is a ready-to-teach curriculum which provides educators with a toolbox to teach Muslim youth about sustainability, Islam, and environmental justice in the Canadian context. Green Ummah has partnered with Nature Canada’s “NatureHood Program” on this project.
Our lesson plans are solution-oriented: we know students are already bringing energy, creativity, and innovative thinking to the environmental movement. Our hope is to provide middle school and high school students an intersectional understanding of the environmental movement, equip them with methodologies to build sustainable and equitable solutions between Muslim youth across Canada.
We encourage interested educators to reach out to us at info@greenummah.org.
Introducing the two packages within the Greening our Communities Toolkit: 1) Islam and the Environment; and 2) Worldviews, Justice and the Environment.
Join Green Ummah as we embark on an incredible journey and become a force for change. With our updated teacher toolkit, we’re empowering communities to embrace greener living, one step at a time. Our extensive curriculum provides students with a new perspective on environmentalism and being green. Together, let’s cultivate a greener tomorrow and make our communities thrive!
Dive into a transformative learning experience with Green Ummah, where faith and environmental stewardship go hand in hand. Discover the teachings of Islam that inspire us to protect and cherish our planet. Explore ethical frameworks uniting us in our responsibility to nurture nature and promote social equity. Our comprehensive curriculum packages are designed to inspire youth to make a positive impact on the world, fostering a deeper understanding of our role as stewards of the Earth.
I was initially reluctant to get involved in this program, but I think my students really benefited from this perspective.
I believe the Islam module was the best because of the Sunnah and hadith activity. It gave students a better understanding of the connections from our religion to geo. I would wish for more of these types of activities if things were to change.
The module on environmental racism and justice was really impactful and I learned a lot from the case studies. The case of Africville was particularly jarring, and I could tell that it was for students as well.
The rubrics were perfect. I believe they did a great job connecting the concept back to the curriculum guidelines, success criteria and goals. Overall it was really well thought out.
I noticed that these lessons sparked a great deal of questions, to the point where sometimes we put a pause on the content and diverted to some discussion. I enjoyed doing this and I think it enriched the experience further. I found many of my students were curious overall and felt comfortable asking questions to further their understanding.
I believe my students demonstrated thorough understanding because a lot of the activities led into very long classroom discussions. which were inclusive of everyone. Additionally students were given a chance to learn geo from a more islamic stance.
The letter writing activity was very effective and had students thinking about how they can explain and make connections to the material from the modules to someone in a position to potentially effect change. It was also a good way to incorporate literacy and writing into the curriculum.
100% of all teachers delivering the curriculum reported they would teach the material to their classes in the future.
Jazakum Allahu khairan for this very rewarding experience and thank you all for taking care of the teachers so well throughout this process. May Allah accept! The toolkit has brought in important content to our classroom that we may not have otherwise learned about with our students.
2021-2022 Pilot Project Teacher
What a phenomenal experience for the students and teacher. Excellent and supportive staff.
2022-2023 Teacher
What a true gift of learning and excitement. Thank you so much for such an awe inspiring event. Thank you so much for finding a way to truly teach about nature and support diverse perspectives.
2022-2023 Teacher
Students and teachers learned so much about the importance of stewardship and conservation.
2022-2023 Teacher
This learning experience was very enjoyable, and I feel like every student should learn this way. This way they will learn about the environment from different perspectives.
Grade 9 student
What I learned from this unit is that you should treat animals with care because they are all creations of Allah. I learned about the current environmental issues in Canada and how racism impacts oppressed/silenced populations in Canada, such as Black and Indigenous people.
Grade 9 student
My favourite part of the Green Ummah work was the trip to St Clair National Wildlife Area. Other students should learn these issues too. The information I learned raised my environmental awareness.
Aayah, grade 9, Windsor Islamic High School
My favourite lesson by Green Ummah was about the six islamic principles and my favourite activity was the field trip. I personally think these activities should be brought into other schools as well because they’re not only educational but also fun. The information I’ve learned has benefited me in ways where I can now use the principles I’ve learned in my daily life.
Nada Al-Mahbashi, grade 9, Windsor Islamic High School
I really liked all of the Green Ummah lessons. I learned a lot of useful knowledge and I think other students should learn about it. It benefited me too. I would recycle and do stuff better for the environment more.
Hasan Riaz, grade 9, Windsor Islamic High School
My favourite part of Green Ummah was by far the field trip. Aside from that, I enjoyed the outdoor activities we did. I’m sure other students would be delighted to take this course.
Cody Salman, grade 9, Windsor Islamic High School
My favourite part of this class was Green Ummah because we did fun activities and watched videos not just writing all day. Yes, other students should [learn the curriculum] if they want because this is an important topic that people should know.
Qadanisa, grade 9, Windsor Islamic High School
I loved learning about the six principles of faith. I believe all students should learn about the environment and how we should treat it. Everything has benefited me in this content. I learned great history words and environmental issues.
Yusuf, grade 9, Windsor Islamic High School
