ResourceSmart Schools Awards – 2024 winners and finalists
In 2024 the awards celebrate their 15th anniversary. Fittingly the theme for 2024 is: Legendary Legacies – what will you leave behind?
We congratulate all winners of this year’s awards. Our young people and schools are leading the way on sustainability, creating real impact for Victorian communities beyond the school gate.
We celebrate everyone in our ResourceSmart Schools community who has worked to incorporate sustainability into the curriculum over the past year and everyone who entered this year’s awards.
Read the ResourceSmart Schools Awards 2024 program (pdf, 11.7MB) to learn more about this year’s finalists.
ResourceSmart School of the Year
This category recognises outstanding sustainability achievement in Victorian primary and secondary schools through:
- positive impact and innovation
- addressing sustainability as a cross-curriculum priority in the Victorian Curriculum
- engaging the broader community
- improvements to campus operations and/infrastructure
- sustainability leadership in the education sector/other schools.
Winner: Chewton Primary School, Chewton
Chewton’s Country Warriors show agency and advocacy
This school’s award-nominated Reconciliation Action Plan shows its strong bond with the community. And its Koorie Engagement Officer works with the Nalderun Education Aboriginal Corporation to ensure First Nations perspectives are part of the school program.
In 2023 the school introduced a weekly sustainability class for the entire school. And students participate in Connecting to Country workshops, where they learn about biodiversity.
The school cares for its nearby reserve and Forest Creek. Students collaborate with the Landcare and Post Office Hill Action groups on revegetation projects.
Students launched a Dog Poop Protest to educate walkers around Forest Creek about the danger of leaving dog poo near the waterway. This mission was later supported by Parks Victoria. In 2023, 300 people joined the school’s Reconciliation Walk, where this 3 Star school showed its strong environmental leadership.
Finalists
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A community approach to biodiversity
In 2023 the school cared for the marine ecosystem with the Dolphin Research Institute.
Together with a neighbouring school and City of Port Phillip Council, students planted 1,000 native trees in Elwood, which allowed them to have a direct positive impact on their neighbourhood while having fun.
During the school’s Green Day event the community built a Jurassic Park-themed interactive garden for the students.
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Encouraging environmental action
This 5 Star school inspires sustainability and is always keen to support others in their sustainability work.
In 2023 the school participated in and hosted teacher network meetings and contributed to developing the Department of Education’s Environmental Sustainability in Schools Policy.
By joining the Container Deposit Scheme and implementing a smart bin system, the community has reduced the amount of landfill it creates.
The campus wetland and biodiversity outdoor learning area are the cherries on top of this small but powerful school of 53 motivated students.
Student Action Team of the Year
Celebrating student teams that best demonstrate environmental leadership.
Primary school winner: Castlemaine Steiner School and Kindergarten, Muckleford
The Eco Club shines a light on Castlemaine’s biodiversity
Attending the ResourceSmart Schools Awards in 2023 inspired 5 students to form the school’s Eco Club. The foundation committee meets weekly to discuss potential initiatives, and the now 20 members of the group run 4 activities.
The Lids4Kids initiative collects lids for recycling. And students build and install nesting boxes for native species across the campus for the Nesting Box project.
The Bird Hide project is one of the Eco Club’s greatest achievements. Students dismantled an unused shelter and moved it to an area overlooking the wetlands to encourage birdwatching during recess and lunchtime.
The Wetland Project allows the students’ creativity to flow while promoting stewardship. Some members collect and share data on wildlife. Others participate in national citizen-science projects. Two students created a YouTube channel about local wildlife.
Finalists
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Parkmore students lead the fight against soft plastics
The school’s student action team, SPEED (Soft Plastic Environmental Earth Defence), researched soft plastics on campus and launched initiatives to combat them.
The students organised a month-long wrapper-free lunchbox competition and created educational materials for the community. The result was a 90% reduction in the school’s soft-plastic use.
The team collaborated with local, federal and state authorities to promote and support the cause, and partnered with academics to explore plastic-eating fungi for soft-plastic disposal.
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Poowong’s sustainability influencers
The Green Team supports school events, fundraises for sustainability causes and encourages students to act by sharing messages in their Green Talks and on social media.
The team also collects surplus produce from homes, orchards, farms and businesses for the school’s Harvest Festival. The entire community addresses food waste by selling, preparing and sharing the excess produce.
These driven students are role models for their peers and an inspiration to their community.
Secondary school winner: St Monica’s College, Epping
A motivated team nurtured by an environmentally focused school program
The school has a bustling co-curricular program with 90 students actively engaged in sustainability-related activities.
The team visits the school’s wetlands each week to clean up, weed, plant, remove aquatic pests and do biodiversity audits.
During the school’s Environmental Day, the team helps to run whole‑school competitions testing correct bin use and awarding best animal or plant photo.
For the circular economy program students visit the chicken coop every day. They feed the animals food scraps and freshly picked weeds and collect eggs, which are sold to school staff.
Representatives from the team shared the work they’re doing to improve biodiversity in the school’s wetlands and the nearby Darebin Creek at the Whittlesea Council Environmental Conference.
Finalists
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The Eco Crew: turning waste into a biodiversity delicacy
The Eco Crew students have been busy tackling waste and improving biodiversity.
The team planted 12 in-ground composting worm towers to improve soil quality in the gardens and made maps to show their locations. They also installed compost caddies across the campus. STEM leaders have designed signs to encourage the broader community to use the towers.
The students also shared their work and legacy with other schools at a Kids Teaching Kids Conference.
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Warrnambool’s 22 environmental advocates
The 22 members of the Sustainability Team have reduced waste on campus and started gardening and tree planting to enhance biodiversity. They also use audits and campaigns to promote energy efficiency, and thanks to their efforts the school has successfully reduced its energy consumption.
The students motivate and share their passion with the community via their sustainability-related workshops and events.
Curriculum Leadership School of the Year
This category recognises teaching and learning of sustainability through the Victorian curriculum, and the creative and innovative approaches to addressing sustainability in lesson plans, units of work or school-wide curriculum.
Primary school winner: Heathmont East Primary School, Heathmont
Kicking goals for the planet and the community
This school bridged learning and sustainable action by introducing a specialist sustainability subject based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Year 3 students explore the No Hunger goal through the lens of social justice by collecting and donating food, toys and clothing to local organisations.
Years 5 and 6 approach the Responsible Production and Consumption goal by designing products and circular economy business models.
The sustainability class allows students to engage in hands-on activities while developing literacy and numeracy skills.
For the Natural Disaster unit, students read non-fiction and fiction texts, create posters, and present their work to their peers.
The Cleanest and Greenest initiative empowers students to look after their school, fostering ownership and responsible behaviour.
Finalists
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The art of problem-solving and storytelling
In 2023 Year 5 and 6 students participated in the youth‑led Sustainable Solutions project hosted by City of Ballarat. They attended 8 workshops and pitched their ideas to government leaders and politicians.
Students used storyboards to explore the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and share their creative ideas for solutions.
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A careful approach to sustainability
A year ago the school introduced the specialist sustainability subject and through that did activities that helped it progress through the RSS modules.
Design and technologies students evaluate design ideas and solutions for the environment and communities. And years 3 and 4 students research and work on the school’s Australian native food garden.
By sticking to the ResourceSmart Schools modules students take part in activities like resource audits to support the school’s sustainability journey.
Secondary school winner: St Monica’s College, Epping
Because caring for the environment is a cross-curriculum priority for this school, it has hired a dedicated sustainability coordinator.
In 2023 the school introduced 2 sustainability-focused semester-based electives: Year 10 biofuels and Year 9 STEM classes, both developed with a focus on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The school’s tiny house assignment explores the impacts of design and insulation on temperature. Students use laser cutters to create their house project, and investigate resource-efficient technologies.
The Year 9 geography class researched the origin and type of the school’s wetland to better understand their local environment.
One student coded a Raspberry Pi computer to record the local ecosystem’s bird sounds. The audio files are automatically sent to the Cornell University bird database to identify species. And Year 7 students analyse the bird information and translate the data into graphs.
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Forging skills for a greener future
The school grounds include a wildlife corridor, a farm and Brodies Creek. This means students have access to an immersive learning experience worthy of a 5 Star school. The school also runs an activity-packed Sustainability Week.
Environmental science students create habitats for endangered species such as the golden sun moth. After the Year 10 agriculture students investigated alternative methods of horticulture, the school bought a hydroponic system. And Year 9 agriculture and horticulture students also explore sustainable farming.
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‘Be the difference’ – a school motto that sticks for life
This 5-Star school fosters long-lasting environmental awareness and action with its outdoor classroom – built by students – and a curriculum curated by the sustainability leader.
In 2023, Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) and geography students attended the United Nations COP28 ‘What is a Green School’ webinar. Then they used what they learned to pitch an action plan to the executive team.
In initiatives like the Oxygen Makers unit students develop practical skills to mitigate climate change and make a difference for the planet.
Campus Infrastructure and Operations School of the Year
Celebrating the school that best demonstrates their commitment to environmental sustainability.
Winner: St Michael’s Grammar School, St Kilda
Data-driven decisions for sustainability
To better understand the school’s waste habits, and to introduce appropriate waste streams, students audited bin contents and staff monitored busy areas in the school to determine where to put bins for maximum effect.
Based on that audit the school has introduced 8 new waste streams: paper and cardboard, plastic bottles, metal cans and tins, food packaging, glass, coffee cups, landfill, and organics.
Organic waste goes to the Yarra Valley Water Treatment Plant and is turned into biofuel. And between 2022 and 2023 the school diverted over a tonne of waste from landfill.
St Michael’s Grammar also has 2 rainwater tanks that save 464 kilolitres of this precious resource each year. The 449 solar panels around the campus produce more energy than what’s used in school hours, and during the holidays excess energy is exported to the electricity grid.
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Turning a vision into reality: the college’s sustainable education initiatives
The college provides students with an immersive sustainability experience by making sustainability a part of everyday school life.
The school promotes using second-hand books, buys recycled paper and collects old electronic devices via Mobile Muster.
The college recently installed 450 solar panels and 2 water tanks, which has further reduced the amount of resources the campus is using.
The school fosters links with First Nations people and culture, and partners with organisations to boost biodiversity on and off campus.
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A new sensory garden for students’ wellbeing
In 2023, as part of the Grade 5/6 Passions & Pathways program, the students at this 5 Star school installed a sensory garden in the junior playground. The project was built with local and recycled materials.
The students were involved throughout the process, from designing and planning to engaging the community and maintaining the garden.
The garden promotes wellbeing, fosters stewardship, and is an interactive space for students and the wider community.
Teacher of the Year
This category recognises teachers who best demonstrate leadership in sustainability.
Primary teacher winner: Gill Davey, Sarah Chamings and Erin Salm, Epsom Primary School, Epsom
The Green Gals foster agency with creativity
Gill, Sarah and Erin are the Green Gals. They are an intergenerational team of teachers championing sustainability in the curriculum and leading a group of 35 students called the Green Magpies.
In 2023 the Green Gals hosted a stall at Bendigo’s Sustainability Festival to fundraise and learn from other stallholders.
At the festival the Green Magpies delivered a message on stage for the Minister for Climate Action at the Greater Bendigo Climate Summit, which led to the Green Gals mentoring 3 local schools.
The Green Gals guided the school to 5 Star status. The school celebrated at a ceremony with a student flash mob, and school staff performed a song about sustainability, written by Erin. The mayor of Bendigo presented a large gold star to the group and announced the school’s achievement to the community.
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Sustainability’s driving force
In 2023 Laura signed the school up for ResourceSmart Schools, embedded sustainability in the curriculum, and got creative for her school.
Laura developed the Holiday Family Sustainability Competition that challenged students to find ways to be more sustainable at home. She also devised the Waste Warriors house point system to encourage plastic-free lunches.
Thanks to Laura’s passion the school connected with local organisations such as Yarra Ranges Council and achieved 2 Star status in record time.
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The power of 3
In 2023 this trio led its school to 3 Star status and got the whole school involved.
Sarah, Jacq and Anna successfully advocated for sustainable lighting and reducing waste across the campus. They taught their colleagues about energy efficiency and shared practical ways to incorporate this content into the curriculum.
Under this team’s wing, the school’s Sustainability Leaders wrote a play featuring local flora and fauna as main characters and presented it at the school’s Green Day event.
Secondary teacher winner: Andrew Feher, Mount Lilydale Mercy College, Lilydale
Inspiring students to think outside the box
Andrew has been pivotal in the school’s 5-Star status achievement, but his impact goes far beyond the classroom. He is the school’s Sustainability Leader and always finds opportunities in the curriculum to focus on the environment.
Thanks to Andrew’s work students take part in the Green Innovators Sustainable Building program to learn about resource efficiency in design. They also participate in the college’s revegetation program, done in partnership with Melbourne Water. He also facilitates debates at events like the Go Green sustainability conference.
Andrew encourages students to take ownership of the school’s Sustainability Week by participating in Earth Hour and Clean Up day. His efforts have led to a bike maintenance workshop and sustainability-inspired art installations.
Thanks to Andrew’s passion and mentorship every year students from the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL), Vocational Education and Training (VET), and geography and agriculture programs pursue careers in sustainable industries.
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5 Star contagious determination
Dwayne is the school’s Sustainability and Agriculture Coordinator and a driven leader.
He initiated the Sustainability Committee, which introduced the school’s Sustainability Week, championed national environmental causes, and participated in CERES programs.
Under Dwayne’s leadership, Aitken College achieved 5 Star status in 2023 and forged partnerships that allowed students to work on biodiversity projects with organisations such as Major Roads Project Victoria and Hume City Council.
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Kickstarting sustainability action at school
Teagan created the school’s Sustainability Team when she saw how interested students were in the outcomes of a litter audit. She looked at the school’s curriculum to find where sustainability was already embedded and areas where there was potential to include it.
Teagan worked with the school’s executive team to develop sustainability policies and introduced composting systems at the school, which she linked to a Year 7 assessment on food waste.
Community Leadership School of the Year
This category recognises schools that best demonstrate a commitment to community leadership through the encouragement of innovative sustainability practices and action on climate change.
Primary school winners: St Patrick’s Primary School, Port Fairy
Port Fairy’s sustainability beacon
This 5 Star school’s dedication to sustainability is as solid as its commitment to the community.
Students visit the Volcano Produce site to learn about spray-free farming practices and harvest food that they then distribute to people in need via the local food share.
As part of the school’s weekly sustainability lessons, students collect recycled fabrics from local families. Staff members and volunteers help them to sew them into upcycled “boomerang bags”. Money made from selling the bags is donated to the Bandari Project, which supports underprivileged children and women in Tanzania.
For the past 7 years the school has participated in the Port Fairy Coastal Group’s Beach Monitoring program, where students collect data for Deakin University’s biologists.
Tecoma Primary School, Tecoma
A community hub for Tecoma
The Sustainability Action Team – formed by students, teachers and class monitors – joins forces with church volunteers, parents and grandparents to promote sustainability in the school and beyond. And as a whole the school fosters collaboration among businesses, groups and families, creating a network dedicated to sustainability.
The school participated in Clean Up Australia Day and cleared the rail trail from Tecoma to Belgrave. It also collaborates with groups like Treasuring our Trees to improve the campus’ gardens, and has an indigenous garden with Australian native food plants and a yarning circle.
The school has a robust green-procurement policy and prioritises using eco-friendly products and recycled materials.
To tackle waste, the students teach their peers about the bin system, and use food scraps to feed the school’s worm farm and chickens.
Finalists
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High-impact local sustainability
In 2023 the school re-engaged with ResourceSmart Schools, achieved 1 Star status, introduced the science and sustainability class, and established a student and a parent action team.
Students and members of the school community ran the Harvest Festival, a community event that turned excess produce into cooked food that raised money for the school’s future sustainability efforts.
The school has also founded the Science and Sustainability Network, which brings together local schools to support and learn from each other.
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Curriculum fosters future community leaders
Staff has worked with University of Melbourne to incorporate sustainability into every subject at the school.
STEAM students monitor the health of Yarrowee Creek through the River Detectives program. And they invite First Nations community members to play and learn with them to deepen their knowledge of Country.
These students also shared their ideas on sustainability with a panel of experts and politicians at a Ballarat Council event.
Secondary school winner: Mount Lilydale Mercy College, Lilydale
Fostering responsible, community-oriented citizens
This campus serves as a professional learning and events hub for the community. It’s committed to fostering community through sharing sustainability knowledge.
The school invites primary schools to participate in the First Nations Immersion Day, where they learn how First Australians care for Country and use natural resources in a respectful and sustainable way.
Students have restored a once-degraded site into an immersive outdoor classroom. And the school has created a key refuge for local biodiversity with money from water authorities and the Shire of Yarra Ranges’ Ribbons of Green program.
The curriculum explores green careers and science-based climate solutions, including sustainable farming and robotics. And the college organised a network of sustainability leaders to discuss ideas through groups such as Beyond Net Zero and the Eastern Alliance for Sustainable Learning.
Finalists
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Powerful collaborations for the environment
Aitken College students work with Melbourne Water’s Liveable Communities, Liveable Waterways program to plant indigenous species in Brodies Creek, home to several endangered species.
Students engage with the local community and businesses to collect plastic bottles for recycling through the Precious Plastics program.
The college participates in the Hume City Council’s Seedlings for Schools and Flick the Switch program, and council officers ran workshops during the school’s Sustainability Week, bringing the partnership full circle.
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Biodiversity at the core of the school’s mission
In partnership with the Banyule Council, students contribute to tree planting days, and waste and biodiversity management projects.
The college also supports endangered species by participating in Zoos Victoria’s Fighting Extinction Schools program.
The curriculum includes First Nations perspectives in the way the school manages its natural resources. And the college shares knowledge and resources with local primary schools, inspiring others to create a greener future.
School Volunteer of the Year
Celebrating a volunteer or volunteer group who supports the implementation of sustainability activities by contributing their time and expertise.
Winner: Friends of the PMPS Garden, Port Melbourne Primary School, Port Melbourne
Port Melbourne’s gardening heroes
Anthony Moran leads the Friends of the Port Melbourne Primary School Garden group, an enthusiastic team that inspires students to connect with their local biodiversity, and that demonstrates the value of community action.
This 18-member collective uses recycled and donated materials, and has worked with Bunnings and the local Men’s Shed to complete their projects.
In 2023 these volunteers created a garden dedicated to a departed member of the school community, and a sensory garden. They also joined the Melbourne Pollinator Corridor initiative by redeveloping a nature strip outside the school.
The Wednesday Garden Club, a cornerstone of their activities, gives students hands-on experience with planting, propagating and maintaining the school’s green spaces.
Finalist
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Knowledge and creativity – The Parent Sustainability Group
Each term the more than 30 members of this group gather to discuss projects and work with school staff on curriculum and infrastructure priorities.
The Parent Sustainability Group taps into the varied skills of its members to benefit the school. An engineer on the team oversaw and coordinated professional energy audits on each campus, and sustainability experts supported students doing waste projects.
They have developed the Party Kit Network, which offers birthday party supplies so families can host single-use-plastic-free parties.
Thanks to this team’s support the school achieved its 1 Star, won 2 ResourceSmart Schools Awards, and has become a sustainability beacon in its community.
Emerging School of the Year
A category that celebrates a school that has recently joined RSS and has already started to embed sustainability in everything they do.
Winner: Wandin North Primary School, Wandin North
Little heroes inspire big actions
In 2023 the school introduced HEROES (Harvest Eat Record Observe Environment Sustainability). The subject quickly became the heart and soul of the community.
Staff, students, families, council officers, local tradespeople and nurseries have come together to make HEROES happen.
The volunteers constructed a chicken coop, and worked on 2 school orchards and an Australian native food garden. They also built composting and worm farm areas with second-hand materials.
The school repurposed fallen trees to build the HEROES kitchen, where students learn about growing, harvesting and cooking fresh produce.
Each class participates in HEROES every week. This consistency has contributed to the school’s rapid and steady journey towards sustainability.
The students record video updates and calls to action for the community, look after the garden, and inspire collaborative environmental action at this outstanding 2 Star school.
Finalists
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An energised sustainability journey
The Kew Eco Crew started after the school discovered its high electricity bills were linked to phantom power usage – when devices are on but no being used. The team worked with solar industry leaders and the school received money from the Greener Government School Buildings program.
Students introduced checklists to ensure non-essential appliances are switched off outside of school hours. In one year the Kew Eco Crew’s motivation and commitment saved 50,000 kWh of electricity.
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Student action encouraged by school leaders
The school’s environmental journey began in 2022 when it formed the Sustainability Team.
Students write newsletters, do energy audits and teach their peers about subjects like efficient heating and cooling.
The team transforms food waste into compost for the campus gardens, which has diverted 70 kg of food waste from cooking classes from landfill.
With the support of the executive team and teachers, these amazing students are thriving in sustainability at the school.
