Education for Sustainability at St John's Newtown
The importance of enhancing our understanding of the environment with a view to its protection and nurture is increasingly acknowledged across all levels of society.
GLC St John’s Newtown proudly supports the Sustainability Education Program which not only educates our students and staff, but has links to a wide range of sustainable schools’ programs and initiatives.
This program has provided professional development and customised consultancy to Victorian schools to assist us to become more sustainable by increasing biodiversity in the local area and dramatically reducing water use, greenhouse gas emissions and solid waste output.
GLC St John’s Newtown has completed the Core, Waste and Energy modules and is working towards the 5 Star Sustainability certification with AuSSI (Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative).
This program aims to help our School integrate sustainability into our planning and strategic process as well as develop ways to improve resource management, embed sustainability practices into the School operations, teaching and learning and encourage community engagement.
The program has enabled our School to establish a whole school focus on Education for Sustainability that permeates throughout the curriculum in all key learning areas and levels.
Students have been empowered to form our ‘SAS’ team (Students Acting Sustainably) to ensure continued support.
Environmental Sustainability at GLC Armstrong Creek
The foundational statements for Geelong Lutheran College Armstrong Creek speak of developing an emphasis on sustainability. This focus sits well with both our calling to be good stewards and to live a life of service.
Some of the most obvious ways we are achieving this include:
- Developing an appreciation of our outdoors through our camping program.
- Partnering with the Great Ocean Road Coast Committee (GORCC). This allows our Year 9 students to adopt a beach area and implement a plan for its rejuvenation. They learn about coastal vegetation and fauna, restore and maintain a beach area, and monitor the re-establishment of native vegetation.
- Hands on opportunities for Year 3 and 4 students learning about sustainable ways of living through the Stephanie Alexander Garden Project. Students grow their own produce (and eat it!), compost organic wastes and mulch around their plants.
Sustainability perspectives are also being developed in less tangible ways, such as through the use of recycled materials in technology projects and art works.
Our involvement with ResourceSmart Program provides us with a Program for embedding sustainability into our school practices. It includes school-wide strategies for minimising waste, saving energy and water, promoting biodiversity and reducing greenhouse gas emissions while giving students the opportunity to learn about sustainability.
