VANCOUVER, British Columbia — At an event to bring awareness to Earth conservation, a new plug-in hybrid school bus from IC Bus was delivered to Burnaby North Secondary School in Burnaby, British Columbia.

The school received the hybrid bus for winning the title of "Canada's Greenest School" last year.

Sixteen-year-old Jennifer Hoa's Canada's Greenest School contest entry, a video titled "Burnaby North: Youth in Action," focused on future leaders having the ability to inspire their school and others in taking "green" initiatives.

"Our students have worked very hard to be conscientious about caring for the environment. The hybrid school bus presented by IC Bus is a symbol of the students' dedication to making the world a greener place, starting with their own school," said Lynn Archer, principal of the school.

The hybrid school bus, worth about $200,000 Canadian, is up to 65 percent more fuel efficient than standard school buses and emits up to a third less greenhouse gas emissions, officials said.

In addition to the hybrid school bus, Hoa wins:

∙ A green audit of the school by a LEED accredited professional
∙ A $3,000 scholarship toward her education
∙ $500 for her teacher to be used for eco-friendly class supplies

In March 2010, IC Bus kicked off its inagural Canada's Greenest School Contest. The open call for entries garnered over 100 submissions from across Canada. After IC Bus announced 10 finalists last April, online voting determined the winning entry, with nearly 25,000 total votes cast.

Hoa's entry discusses the students' struggle to walk or bike to school due to the twice daily traffic jams, making it difficult to enter and exit the school's traffic zone. Her video further explains how using a hybrid school bus is the most effective solution for reducing pollution, thus leading the youth and staff to work together toward implementing a bus system by replacing old buses with hybrids for their "Green Rides Campaign." She also outlined ways she sees Burnaby North reducing waste, energy consumption and choosing more environmentally friendly products.

"The commitment of Canada's youth to greening schools was evident in all of the entries. It was clear that Jennifer and Burnaby North Secondary had really planned and assessed more effective ways of going green — and the people of Canada made a great choice in selecting Jennifer as the winner," said John McKinney, president of IC Bus.