Sustainable Schools NSW

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Our vision

Sustainable Schools NSW aims to support all schools, their partners and the community in realising a positive environment vision. Through careful planning your school community can implement, review and celebrate sustainability education initiatives.

Watch the Sustainable Schools DVD

Read the Sustainable Schools NSW newsletters

**** Not sure if you are registered as a Sustainable School? Email us and we can check for you. Remember to include the name of your school.

About us

What is Sustainable Schools NSW?
Measure your energy, water, waste and purchasing use with tools from our resource centre
A step by step guide to creating a whole school sustainability plan
Read about the Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative - AuSSI

News

Be ahead of the game, find out what is happening - Greendates for schools has been updated for 2012.

Most important issues in Australia today as viewed by young people in 2011 were the environment, alcohol and drugs and the economy and financial matters. Read more about the report.
Planning school excursions for 2012? Visit the OEH site for information on the comprehensive Discovery for schools program for primary and secondary students.
Some funding grants are now coming on line for 2012, don't miss out on funding that could help your school achieve its enviromental objectives. Monitor the Grants and Funding page of our site for new listings.
Old phones, more chickens - MobileMuster are currently running a campaign (1.11.11 to 31.1.12) where for every two handsets recycled MobileMuster will buy a chicken through the Oxfam Unwrapped program for a family struggling against poverty in Laos. All mobiles and accessories are recycled with over 90% of the raw materials recovered for reuse.
Answering the Call Schools Program (Birds Australia) has made some sigificant achievements in 2011. Their newsletter outlines some of the great work accomplished by the 45 schools, including installing bird gardens and nesting boxes. (pdf 3.03 MB)
Join the Happy Schools community, an online initiative to improve the wellbeing of "teaching and learning". Find out more about the Happy Schools Initiative in Our community.

Professional learning workshops

Upcoming workshops in 2012:

Creating Kitchen Gardens - a one-day program to provide teachers with knowledge and skills to create, maintain or improve a sustainable school fruit and vegetable garden. DEC schools only. Get in early, limited space!
When: Monday 27 February, 2012
Where: Forestville Public School
Cost: $110 incl GST (includes morning tea, lunch and resources)
NSW Teacher Institute registered course.
For more information contact Gibberagong Environmental Education Centre. View the information flyer (pdf 1 MB)

Certificate IV in Carbon Mangement - an accredited workplace qualification. Provided as part of the NSW Strategic Skills Program and provided by the NSW DEC. Read the flyer (pdf 64 KB) for more information.

Don't forget! Your area might have their own School Environmental Network. Why not join other like minded teachers. Details of when and where the networks are meeting and the focus for the meeting are provided.

Want to share what you are doing at your school? Gibberagong and Field of Mars EEC's will be hosting a series of video conferences in 2012. The Green Room conferences are for teachers who want to share best practice in environmental and sustainability education. They are currently looking for teachers who are prepared to give a 20 minute presentation via VC. For more information email the Principal at Gibberagong EEC.

Not a school?

If you are from an organisation that works with schools, you can be involved by joining the Sustainable Schools Network. As a member of the network you will receive regular news about upcoming opportunities and activities you can be involved in. The Sustainable Schools Network is made up of over 1500 schools and organisations in New South Wales and is still growing.

Opportunities

Don't miss out! The following opportunities are available for schools:

Grants and funding:

2012 Junior Landcare School Garden Grant program is now open! Round 1 applications close 17 February, 2012. Don't miss out.

For more details and other grants available for schools go to Grants and funding.

Awards and competitions:

MobileMuster Schools Recycling Challenge is still going with fantastic prizes, you can register at any time, and you can get set up ready to go for 2012!
'Snap and win' with PlanetArk. Snap a recycling bin and you'll go in the draw to win an iPad2! Competition closes 10pm Wednesday 29 February, 2012.
For more details about other awards and competitions go to Awards and competitions.

Other opportunities:

Join the CarbonKids Program in 2012. This is a CSIRO initiative with great benefits to both students and teachers. More information is available from our Resource section.

Conferences

Celebrating sustainability fesitval - 11-26 February, 2012. Melbourne and beyond. The Festival aims to inspire and empower everyday Australians to accelerate the uptake of sustainable living.

Rio+20 - United Nations Conference on Sustainble Development, 20-22 June, 2012. Cant' go to Rio? Read the Australian Government flyer (pdf 0.98MB) on how your students can be involved.

Our Partners

Office of Environment and Heritage

Department of Education and Communities

logos for Sustainable Schools Initiative and for CEC