What can you create with more than 500 empty milk containers? At the Franc départ centre at the école des Pionniers-de-Maillardville, both children and adults will reply with pride: “a magnificent igloo!”

This construction project, undertaken there last November, has the distinction of having utilised recycled materials to create a new play area where imagination takes centre stage.

Of course, what makes the igloo particularly special is the fact that everyone could take part in its construction. It was not just the little kids who arrived at the Franc départ centre with their arms full of empty containers, beaming to be able to make this contribution. Their families also donated their time washing those containers and enthusiastically participated in the architectural design of this impressive structure. Even the neighbourhood Starbucks café participated in the initiative, by collecting many of the 500 containers required. In this way, when we work together, we can achieve great and beautiful things!

This project was born of the idea of encouraging active family participation in the programming offered at Franc départ centres, in addition to promoting family engagement.

It follows from the BC Ministry of Education’s “Reflecting on Quality” approach, implemented in all Franc départ and Strong Start centres in BC to guide new projects and initiatives. For more information about the “Reflecting on Quality” tool, please consult the web page about it.