Empower Educators: An Essential Resource for Teaching Sustainability
I have been a teacher for over a decade, and have experienced the teaching profession become more and more complicated, jammed with administrational tasks, community expectations and opinion, ever changing political, social and climate conditions, as well as pressures with teacher shortages and retention.
It is hard to educate our future leaders.
But a resource I discovered a few years ago has changed the way I approach sustainable education. They are motivating, supportive, knowledgable and passionate, and exactly what I needed to help me set up in school programs and initiatives that supported behavioural change and a sustainability focus.
The Sustainable Schools Program is the support I needed to make significant and impactful change at my school.
About the program
Sustainable Schools Program has partnered with Sustainability Victoria to implement their award-winning program and online platform (SSP Online) across our ACT schools. SSP Online will allow schools to choose actions, create goals, and track their sustainability progress, all in one spot.
It’s a free program to all ACT schools and supports actions through taking a whole school approach to:
improve sustainability
take climate action
reduce emissions.
By using the easy-to-follow framework across the school’s operations, curriculum, and community, the program can help your school:
manage energy, water and waste
increase and protect biodiversity
attain sustainability star certification.
If you are someone who teaches outside of the ACT, then I highly recommend contacting the SSP and asking for their advice about similar programs available in your state.
How it works
Through the program you can:
Create a sustainability team
Develop a sustainability action plan
Complete actions across five modules: Core, Biodiversity, Energy, Waste, and Water
Access resources, site visits and advice from specialist staff and our newsletter
Organise learning opportunities for teachers, students, and leaders by emailing: sustainableschoolsprogram@act.gov.au
Collaborate with schools, community groups, and other service providers.
Who can take part
All ACT public, Catholic, and independent schools.
Cost
The program is free for all ACT schools.
Why it's important
The ACT is committed to net zero emissions by 2045.
ACT school communities can pave the way to climate action and help build community adaptation and resilience. Schools can set a great example by reducing emissions. It supports the environment and can save money.
Climate Choices Schools Awards
We love to celebrate schools and their achievements in sustainability. We do this through our Climate Choices Schools Awards.
We acknowledge schools when they:
adopt sustainable energy use strategies
adopt smart water use
adopt effective waste and recycling systems
increase biodiversity
reduce transport emissions.
Contact
Sustainable Schools Program
Phone: 02 6207 8886
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