Hot news:

RESOURCE SMART SCHOOL OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Entries for the 2007 Victorian ResourceSmart™ School of the Year Awards (previously known as Waste Wise Schools Awards) close on 18th July 2007

The awards, sponsored by Sustainability Victoria, recognise and reward students and teachers from schools across Victoria who work hard to address a range of significant environmental issues.

 Award categories are: 
> Victorian ResourceSmart™ School of the Year Award

Subcategories are:
>Victoria's Energy Smart School of the Year Award
> Victoria's Water Smart School of the Year Award
>Victoria's Waste Smart School of the Year Award
> Victoria's Biodiversity Smart School of the Year Award

Winning schools are in the running to win up to $25 000 in prizes to assist with their ongoing sustainability projects.  Finalist schools also have the chance to present at the Kids Teaching Kids Awards Ceremony at the MCG, where students across the state teach each other about their schools' initiatives.

For Further information on Sustainability Victoria's website click here

 

RUBBISH FREE LUNCH CHALLENGE
10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
- closing date for registrations extended to Friday 29 June

Participate in the 10th anniversary Rubbish Free Lunch Challenge and win up  to $2000 by showing how you reduce, reuse and recycle the lunch rubbish at your school! 
The total prize pool of $12 500 is open to Victorian primary, secondary and specialist schools. All schools that enter will also receive a special certificate of participation.

* closing date to register your school: Friday, 29 June
* Rubbish Free Lunch Challenge Measurement Day: Wednesday, 1 August
* closing date for submission of your entry: Friday, 24 August

For more information on the Department of Education website, click here

Switch Awards early bird registrations: one week left!

Register in the 2007 Switch Awards before 5 pm, 29 June and you could win a $100 or $200 assistance grant (Note: the final deadline for registrations is 27 August).
The Switch Awards focus on energy, the environment, and community.
Winning schools will share in prizes worth $30,000, including two fully installed solar systems (each valued at $10,000). The Switch Awards have two categories:
1. Primary and pre-primary – Switch and Tell
Enter with any program or activity that engages the community in energy and safety.
2. Primary and secondary – Switch and Shout
Enter with any program or activity that engages the community in energy and the environment.
The deadline for entries submission is 17 September 2007.To register, call 1800 659 511 (freecall), or submit your details online.
click here

Westpac Landcare Education Award
Prize: $500

This award will be made to a primary or secondary school or youth group – either as a whole class or special group. The award is for the school / group's contribution to raising awareness, knowledge and understanding of Landcare amongst students and/or the community, and for implementing Landcare practices on its own property or within the local community.
WESTPAC Victorian  School Landcare Award submissions need to be in by July 1 2007!
Award winners ceremony 28th of August 2007 at Government House - winners get the chance to go to Canberra in 2008 to represent Victoria at the National Landcare Awards
For more information click here

 

RUBBISH FREE LUNCH CHALLENGE
10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
- closing date for registrations extended to Friday 29 June - see Hot News in the left hand column

 

Waste Wise Schools Network Meeting at Torquay Primary School.

On Wednesday 30th May, teachers from across the Barwon Region attended a Waste Wise Schools Network meeting hosted by Torquay Primary School. The
afternoon consisted of time to share both the great initiatives already being undertaken by schools and actions that schools were looking for assistance with. A tour of some of the Sustainability initiatives implemented by Torquay PS was taken by David Pace and provided inspiration as to what can be achieved. David also explained how the various projects were developed, linked into the curriculum and funded. For further information on a selection of Torquay PS initiatives
click here

 

Lara and Montpellier Primary Schools Waste Wise Certified

Congratulations to Lara and Montpellier Primary Schools on receiving Waste Wise Certification. To find out more about the waste and litter minimisation activities undertaken by Lara PS, click here.

 

Promoting Achievements
- Geelong East Primary School

WWEB of Life –A Kit for Sustainability Education was created by the Sustainability Team at Geelong East Primary School as part of the Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative Victoria (AuSSi Vic), facilitated by CERES Community Environment Park, within the DET Strategic Partnerships program and supported with funding from the Coryule Cluster.

WWEB of Life is designed to make the world a better place, by providing primary school teachers with a VELS based curriculum kit that can be used at every year level, to enable school communities to learn and understand the issues facing the world and to take action to live more sustainably.

Most importantly it gives students the opportunities to excel in a range of learning environments, whether it be inside the classroom, in the outdoors or in the community, so that they learn to live more sustainably

The kit, available in CD form, contains sixteen Units of Work across Levels 1,2,3,4 with individual foci on Water, Waste, Energy, and Biodiversity.

For more information or to obtain a copy of the kit please contact Graeme Biggins, Geelong East PS on 52484885

Grants

Mitre 10 Junior Landcare Grants Program
- Round 3 closes 3rd August
Through the Mitre 10 Junior Landcare Grants Program, any school or organisation that would like to involve their students in landcare projects, in conjunction with local landcare groups, can apply for grants to assist them with the cost of their projects.Read more

 

Photovoltaic Rebate Program
-Schools and community buildings rebate

On 8 May 2007, the Federal Government announced $150 million in additional funding for solar technology as part of 2007-08 budget. Part of this funding will be directed towards a new competitive grants element of the program that will enable schools and community groups to apply for a grant of up to 50 per cent of the cost of a solar power system with an upper limit of 2 kilowatts. Guidelines are currently being developed by the Australian Government and further details will be made available in July 2007. For further information contact Sustainability Victoria on 86268700.

 

Resources

Secondary Schools Litter Kit
We are pleased to announce the release of the L.E.S.S. (Litter Education in Secondary Schools) Litter Toolkit developed for Sustainability Victoria. It is an easy to use, step-by-step teaching guide to help students conceptualise, develop and implement their own environmental action plan to reduce litter at their school. For you school's copy please call Simone Budd on 5277 9656 or email: simonebudd@brwmg.vic.gov.au

The Pack pack - Packaging Unwrapped
(Primary schools Resource)
This resource, developed by the Curriculum Corporation, is packed with Maths, English, Science, Art and Design activities all aligned to the Victorian VELS Level 4 curriculum.
The kit includes information on how to incorporate the activities into Values and Sustainability education studies. The kit costs $44 plus postage and handling.
To find out more click here.

On Line Lessons
The Packaging Council of Australia has links to lesson plans available on line such as 'Biodegradable Chocolate Packaging', 'Packaging manufacturing processes – beverage, industrial and recycling' and more. For further information click here.

Events

The Toolbox for
Environmental Change – A Climate for Change
Tuesday 24th July, Melbourne

Greening Australia’s 6th annual 'Toolbox' will target primary and lower secondary schools along with environmental and sustainability education organisations. The event will provide participants with practical information, tools, resources and networking opportunities enabling them to begin, continue and advance sustainability education in schools
This year’s keynote speakers ,
Rob Gell,geographer, sustainability strategist and president of Greening Australia Victoria's Board and Richard Denniss, Strategic Adviser to Senator Bob Brown promise to set the scene for the day presenting on big picture ‘climate change’ issues.

Find out more...

 

Waste Wise Tip

Looking for some way to recycle your cartridges? Through Planet Ark's Cartridges 4 Plant Ark, campaign, ALL types and brands of printer cartridges used in printers, photocopiers, multi-function centres and fax machines can be recycled.
Smaller businesses and home users can visit www.RecyclingNearYou.com.au for your nearest drop off location, including nominated Harvey Norman, Officeworks and Dick Smith Powerhouse stores and Australia Post.

Larger organizations can access their own collection boxes. To be eligible, your organisation needs to use a minimum of 3 imaging consumables (toner bottles, laser cartridges, drum units, fuser kits, inkjets etc) from ANY fax, photocopier or printer per month. For more information click here.

Waste Wise Fact

Each year Household recycling in Victoria saves:

• 309,964 tonnes of greenhouse gases, equivalent to taking 51,661 cars off the road!
• The average amount of energy used by 155,000 households a year
• 8,960 mega litres of water - that's the water consumption of 3, 370,000 people for one week.
  (courtesy of Metropolitan RWMG)
  

 

Barwon Waste Wise Education Centre

Looking for an excursion to support your Waste Wise Initiatives? Look no further! The Barwon Waste Wise Education Centre offers educational experiences which encourage the development of a Waste Wise ethic within all sectors of the Barwon Community, in an effort to increase the sustainability of our environment.

To view the Primary Programs click here

To view the Secondary programs click here
To view pictures of the Centre click here
Please note that programs can be tailored on request, particularly for upper Secondary Students.