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Schools for the Environment
In Victoria, Greening Australia delivers an education program called ‘Schools for the Environment’. This program provides environmental education opportunities to students and educators across the state, teacher professional development events and on-line education resources.
Professional Development – the Toolbox for Environmental Change Forum
A key component to the Schools for Environment program is our annual Toolbox for Environmental Change forum.
Now in its tenth year, our Toolbox forum has become Victoria’s premier conference for teachers and education providers dealing with sustainability.
In 2009, Greening Australia was supported by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, Sustainability Victoria, Melbourne Museum and the Victorian Association for Environmental Education in delivering the forum. This event attracted the participation of 67 secondary schools and 39 primary schools. 12 Shire Councils (38% of metropolitan councils) and 38 education provider organisations also participated in the event.
The 2010 event, planned to be held on the 18th of March at the Melbourne Museum, will build on the momentum we have generated over the past nine years.
To register your interest as a participant at the 2010 forum, please contact the Schools Program coordinator on 9450 5321.
Our On-line Education Kit
The Education Kit is a comprehensive resource integrating environmental education across all curriculum areas. Eight key environmental learning areas are covered, including; Plant Propagation, Koori Heritage and Habitat Creation and Enhancement. The kit contains CSF links, well-researched background information, a resource list including web sites (including ratings!) as well as activities, worksheets and other cross-curricular activity ideas. Click here for an online version where you can also download pdf versions of the eight learning modules.
Greening Australia and AuSSI
Since 2002 schools throughout Australia have been using less energy, conserving water and producing less waste thanks to AuSSI – The Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative.
As schools undertake curriculum modules based on waste, energy and water it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a school that has not already installed rainwater tanks or established recycling systems. Many have even begun retrofitting their lighting systems. In so doing, schools are becoming models for sustainability for the broader community.
Schools can be registered to become an AuSSI school by contacting CERES on (03) 9380 1556.
AuSSI (Vic) schools will now also become models for biodiversity conservation using a fourth module focused on biodiversity.
Greening Asutralia has been pioneering the new nationally accredited AuSSI Biodiversity Module throughout Victoria. This typically involves school groups taking part in an educational event ‘Beyond the School Gate’, followed by a student-based ‘Biodiversity Audit’ of their own school grounds. An ‘Action Plan’ is then developed to enhance the conservation values of the school.
Our Community Partnership with RACV has allowed Greening Australia to develop and deliver the AuSSI Biodiversity Module directly to 6 primary schools and 4 secondary schools close to RACV clubs/resorts in 2009.
Funding from the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development has allowed Greening Australia to pioneer the module with a further 10 schools and a partnership with Zoos Victoria will help over 30 schools in the Western Grassy Plains adopt the module.
The curriculum materials that support the AuSSI Biodiversity module are available free online from the Department of Primary Industry (via www.landlearn.net.au).
Greening Australia’s kit that supports schools undertake the school ground Audit and Action Plan component of the AuSSI Biodiversity Module is available here or from our Schools Program Coordinator (03 94505321)
Revegetation Calendar
Developed in 2004, the revegetation calendar contains information and activities that you and your students can do as part of or independent of a revegetation project. The calendar is easy to use and gives a month by month break down of how to implement your very own revegetation project. Each month provides background information, activity ideas and CSF links. There are also ‘Did You Know’ facts for the students, a list of environmental events for each month and an activity sheet for the 'outdoor classroom'.
To receive your free copy of the calendar, please send a self addressed stamped ($2.50 for one calendar, $6.00 for two) A3 envelope to: School Program Coordinator, Greening Australia Victoria, PO Box 525, Heidelberg, Victoria 3084. We hope to have this available on-line soon.