2020 ResourceSmart Schools Awards
The 2020 winners across 11 categories were announced during an online YouTube ceremony with radio personality Sammy J on World Environment Day – 5 June 2020.
Thank you and congratulations to all who entered. Across these categories, our finalists and winners showcased the incredible efforts of principals, teachers, students, parents and volunteers, and spotlighted the impactful and inspiring work of Victorian schools.
ResourceSmart School of the Year
Winner: Mount Waverley Primary School
A sustainability spirit inside and outside the classroom
Mount Waverley Primary School’s student green ambassadors are inspired and inspiring others to make a difference.
The school embeds climate change action, biodiversity conservation and knowledge sharing in the curriculum – teaching students to look after the planet, and demonstrating how this contributes to wellbeing in return.
Mount Waverley deeply connects its students to nature, with an ethos promoting outdoor learning and nature play while fostering environmentally-aware citizens. A constructed ‘national park’ is home to a frog bog, butterfly garden and wildlife corridor, bringing sustainability to life within school gates.
Students are taught a sustainability specialist subject, enhanced by a dedicated space for sensory learning, classes and parent workshops. The school runs tours of its sustainable campus, which is 5star certified under the ResourceSmart Schools program.
Mount Waverley demonstrated exceptional leadership and community connection by presenting at professional and student conferences, and by participating in sustainability projects such as Zoos Victoria’s Fighting Extinction Schools program and Wild Onesie Day, fundraising for endangered animals.
It’s not just Mount Waverley’s students and staff involved in environmental stewardship. The school also supports its local community to play an active role through waste drop-offs and the sale of student-grown produce. Being awarded School of Year in 2020 is a testament to Mount Waverley’s commitment to sustainability education both in and out of the classroom.
Highly commended: Warrnambool East Primary School
Connecting with community for positive change
Warrnambool East Primary has championed sustainability through a diverse and unique range of community partnerships.
The school’s Community Action Day brought together groups including Zoos Victoria, Parks Victoria, Deakin University, Warrnambool City Council and Beach Patrol 3280 to inspire students to explore sustainability issues. Students are now working towards a national ban on plastic cotton buds after teaming up with community members.
The school delivers sustainability-focused enquiry units which include out-of-classroom experiences like working with Marine biology undergraduate students from Deakin University. Local schools are invited to participate in Community Action Days run by the school in partnership with organisations such as Parks Victoria.
The community also gets involved in sustainability at the school by helping to deliver the kitchen garden program.
Finalists
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Waste warriors and student leadership
Eastwood Primary School and Deaf Facility has empowered emerging sustainability leaders while formalising sustainability as a key part of the curriculum.
Eastwood has fostered student leadership at a range of levels. Two ‘Waste Warrior’ student leaders support each classroom by working with student environment captains, while the school is excited to expand its 2019 work using the Kids Teaching Kids model.
Environmental education is embedded in the curriculum as a specialist subject in a two-year sustainability learning sequence. Eastwood shares its experience with others, mentoring staff from other schools and presenting at the Steps 2 Sustainability conference.
Eastwood students also benefit from a kitchen garden program run with a community focus involving local volunteers.
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Sustainability at scale
St Martin de Porres School started its journey in the ResourceSmart Schools program this year, having transformed its sustainability practice by engaging with communities at all scales – at school, locally and globally.
A waste audit as part of the ‘Wipe Out Waste’ project with Moonee Valley City Council led to school-wide installation of specialised bins and a compost digestive system, while 300 Indigenous trees and shrubs were planted by the school to boost local biodiversity and encourage community wellbeing with the aid of a Landcare grant.
School leadership also attended an international sustainability study tour in Bali, prompting the development of new sustainability strategies and policies to formalise sustainability as part of the curriculum.
Campus Infrastructure and Operations School of the Year
Winner: Mentone Primary School
Students shape their sustainable campus
It’s all hands on deck at Mentone Primary School as students enthusiastically contribute ideas to improve their campus! Sustainability lessons are a community experience, supported by parents, Deloitte volunteers and CERES, who encourage students to take the lead. Unused school areas have already been transformed into productive spaces for compost and mulch.
Students have put classroom studies on the five senses into practice by designing their 'dream' sensory garden.
Students also planted over 100 plants with the help of a Landcare grant, after they worked to identify suitable drought-resistant Indigenous coastal plants.
Their positive impact extends beyond greening the environment. After researching lunchbox wastage and school energy usage, students wrote newsletter articles and investigated alternative energy options, resulting in the 2020 transition to ‘nude food’ and support for a future transition to solar power.
Finalists
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Rosebud Secondary College
Student voice for action on energy efficiency Rosebud Secondary College’s Student Environment Committee collaborated with the college council to strategise ways to reduce energy consumption, leading to a school-wide transformation showing a strong commitment to sustainability. Hot water units were replaced with heat pumps, electric heaters with energy efficient reverse-cycle heaters and coolers, toilets with dual flush, and 3475 fluorescent lights with LEDs.
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Thoughtful design for a sustainable school
Intelligent and sustainable design of campus infrastructure sets St Louis De Montfort’s Primary School apart. The school’s new facility uses glass, building orientation techniques, verandas, and air flow systems to ensure that learning spaces maximise energy efficiency. The campus is complemented by an additional 84,000 litre water tank and includes swales, grassy mounds, and an adventure play space.
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Working together towards a waste-free school
Whitefriars Catholic College has a comprehensive multi-bin recycling system that continues to grow. In 2019, the school’s Sustainability and Environment Team successfully advocated for a budget increase from $500 to $6000 to install bins and signage. The new bin system was complemented by creative campaigning, including staff waste inductions, awareness campaigns, curricular links and ‘Wonderful Waste’ staff presentations
Teacher of the Year (Primary)
Winner: Stephanie Young, St Columba’s Primary School, Elwood
Strong leadership for an ‘eco-excited’ community
Stephanie Young’s commitment, passion and dedication as the sustainability leader at St Columba’s Primary School in Elwood has seen her mentor student environment leaders, promote school achievements and lead engagement with the community.
Through her strong leadership and effective communication, Stephanie has developed deep connections to her school community, resulting in an active and engaged parent Green Team and eco‑excited students.
Stephanie oversees a range of programs including the Climate Change Choir, marine clean up initiatives and the kitchen garden classroom. She has minimised landfill waste by encouraging ‘nude food’ and introducing eWaste disposal.
Stephanie has cultivated flourishing working relationships with the Port Phillip Eco Centre, CERES, and local sustainability groups in the Elwood area, and has shared St Columba’s sustainability successes with other schools at a range of conferences and professional development activities over the past year.
Finalists
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A sustainability warrior makes her start
Karen Michell was instrumental in Tate Street Primary School’s sustainability journey. As the school got involved in ResourceSmart Schools for the first time, Karen collected baseline data and wrote new policies and plans from scratch, while coordinating a new student team, the Planetators!
As a true 'sustainability warrior', Karen’s energy and commitment gives her Planetators the confidence to set a positive example for their school.
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A thoughtful approach for a sustainable curriculum
Sustainability Coordinator Meg Moore has lifted the profile of sustainability at Eastwood Primary School and Deaf Facility.
Meg devised a two-year scope and sequence for Environmental Education, which is taught as a specialist subject.
During 2019 Meg was invited to take part in a Deakin University research project and to represent the primary school sector at the Eastern Alliance for Sustainable Learning Educators Reference Group.
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Partners for positive change
Sue Constable and Kellie Clark form the dynamic duo leading sustainability at Our Lady Star of the Sea. Sue and Kellie have a strong collaborative partnership and are seen as role models by other schools in their region.
Their incredible achievements include the development of sustainability planners linked to the curriculum and the creation of EarthFest, a community sustainability festival with a student voice
Teacher of the Year (Secondary)
Winner: Judith Stewart, Lowanna College, Newborough
A globally-connected sustainability classroom
Judith Stewart has enriched the sustainability activities she coordinates at Lowanna College by establishing learning connections interstate and overseas.
Judith championed her school’s campaign for the Zayed Sustainability Prize in 2019 and travelled to the World Sustainability Expo in Abu Dhabi. Judith later arranged a learning
exchange with Huonville Secondary School in Tasmania, including a guest to speak on 'what a mere student can achieve'!
Judith has forged strong connections with community organisations. She organised a Green Tradies program with community volunteers and developed a student-led sustainability program linked with the Rotary Club of Moe. Judith spearheaded the school’s organic waste collection and sustainability policy development, and worked with
Global Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Institute to introduce a Climate Change Solution Pilot Program, which includes carbon capture techniques.
The scale and range of Judith’s achievements is truly remarkable.
Finalists
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Showcasing early successes
Ringwood Secondary College’s Jacqui Godfrey couples a busy schedule as VCE coordinator with her role as Sustainability Coordinator. Since 2016 she has worked towards the school earning its first ResourceSmart Schools star, and ultimately reached that milestone in 2019.
Jacqui is known for her willingness to listen to innovative ideas, which she documents through the school’s @rscsustainability Instagram page, where she celebrates sustainability successes.
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Driving a waste revolution
Paula McIntosh has led a waste revolution at Melbourne Girls’ College by removing landfill bins and adopting the waste hierarchy. Paula drove positive change and cultural shift with her contributions to policy, whole-school engagement and professional development.
Paula keeps momentum for waste reduction going with her outstanding communications skills, including an Instagram page @zerowasteschoolsaustralia.
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Empowering students to have a say
Venkata Kalva has redefined sustainability at Brentwood Secondary College in Glen Waverley by translating awareness into action. Venkata uses student voice and power to promote sustainability, engaging students and allowing them to own their projects, such as the introduction of 10 streams of waste collection in the campus.
With Venkata at the helm, the number of students in the school Green Team has risen from six in 2015 to over 40 in 2019.
Student Action Team of the Year (Primary)
Winner: Coburg North Primary School, Coburg
Strengthening school identity and embracing energy transformation
A desire to learn more about the environment inspired a dedicated Grade 4 cohort to create lasting impact at Coburg North Primary School.
The students worked collaboratively to research energy use and production, laying the foundation for the successful planning and execution of the school’s Solar Day fundraiser, where over $3000 was raised for a new 100Kw solar system. Through their fundraiser, students increased peer and community awareness of sustainability with renewable energy-themed activities, stalls and music performances.
The peer-to-peer learning involved in this process empowered the entire school community to undertake energy audits in classrooms, and to explore creative ways to inspire behaviour change around sustainability issues.
The sustainability advocacy of the Grade 4 cohort has continued to motivate the school community into 2020, with the Parents and Friends Committee continuing fundraising efforts for the school’s solar system – a testament to the lasting impact of student initiative and leadership.
Finalists
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Investing in biodiversity
In 2019, Yarragon Primary School’s Student Environment Team actively improved local biodiversity by collaboratively planning, researching and fundraising to build a frog habitat. The Student Environment Team ensures the area is well protected by reinforcing its natural significance to fellow students in class and at assemblies. This peer learning is enhanced by student-led frog bog tours.
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Growing as environmentally-conscious citizens
The Senior Collective Action Team at St Brigid’s has transformed the school’s unused spaces into vibrant vegetable gardens fostering sustainable resource use. Students worked independently before school and during lunchtime, demonstrating a passion and persistence that inspired wider community involvement and built a lasting culture of environmental stewardship at the school.
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Investing in biodiversity
In 2019, Yarragon Primary School’s Student Environment Team actively improved local biodiversity by collaboratively planning, researching and fundraising to build a frog habitat. The Student Environment Team ensures the area is well protected by reinforcing its natural significance to fellow students in class and at assemblies. This peer learning is enhanced by student-led frog bog tours.
Student Action Team of the Year (Secondary)
Winner: Viewbank College, Rosanna
Working towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Viewbank College has a team of enthusiastic students actively contributing to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals through the ‘Young Person’s Plan for the Planet’ program. Through this initiative, students experience first-hand how policy is shaped and mobilise the community to act on sustainability.
Using their STEM and research skills, Viewbank students investigated state and community-level approaches to sustainable development and created an action plan in collaboration with Kolbe Catholic College. Their plan was presented to the Prime Minister’s representative at the inaugural Young Person’s Plan for the Planet conference in Canberra.
The students also made and sold beeswax wraps to promote UN Sustainable Development Goals related to responsible consumption and sustainable land use, while increasing biodiversity awareness and fundraising for the Wheen Bee Foundation.
Finalists
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Advocating for sustainability on campus
Brentwood’s student Green Team spearheads campaigning for sustainability upgrades on campus.
Their successes include the installation of a recycling station for old textbooks, batteries and plastic bottle tops, and advocating successfully for an expansion to the school’s solar panel array.
The students’ advocacy carries over to the wider community through their social media platform and engagement in events such as the Global Table Food Innovation Summit.
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Funding innovative ideas for a sustainable future
Ringwood’s student Green Team leads all things sustainability‑related on campus. Maintaining the school garden is just another opportunity for this dynamic group to discuss their next sustainability idea, such as organising the school’s EnviroFest, where they raised funds to deliver exciting future projects. Students also participated in the Maroondah Council’s ‘Better Bin Behaviours’ video competition.
Community Leadership School of the Year (Primary)
Winner: Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School, Ocean Grove
Celebrating sustainability with the community
In 2019, Our Lady Star of the Sea hosted their very first EarthFest. Over 1700 parents, staff and locals attended this exciting event designed to connect the local community with the environment. Almost 50 stands showcased community projects, sustainable businesses and student advocacy for climate action and conservation. The festival was not complete without a parents’ musical performance, concluding with the band ‘The Formidable Vegetables’!
Our Lady Star of the Sea’s community leadership extends beyond the school gate, and includes a decade-long partnership with the Bellarine Catchment Network. They jointly undertake local planting, Waterwatch and litter management activities, including the revegetation of 3000 Indigenous plants in the Bonnyvale wetlands.
Participation in activities like Zoos Victoria’s Fighting Extinction program and maintenance of the school’s Indigenous garden are among many other achievements.
Finalists
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Sustainability with a local lens
In 2019, Carrum Primary School carefully planned and implemented a range of strategies to involve the community, including the coordination of groups tackling a variety of local issues.
The school organised and ran its annual Big Green Festival and Big Green Schools Conference, where they showcased best practice in sustainable living for local residents and school students
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Words with wings: Inspiring students with storytelling
Point Cook College P-9 students used the art of storytelling to explore sustainability in their book Rosie’s Wonders. Students wrote and illustrated the book, which spotlights local ecosystems and shows the migratory shorebird journey of Rosie, a bar‑tailed godwit. Rosie’s story has been shared globally as part of presentations to schools in Bali and Singapore.
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Action through community bonds
A Victorian Junior Landcare and Biodiversity Grant supported a team of students from Winters Flat Primary School to undertake the Eltham Copper Butterfly Habitat project. Students worked to create a better ecosystem for butterflies supported by 20 community volunteers. The bonds forged between project participants led to collaboration on additional local projects, such as the revegetation of the local Campbells Creek and Castlemaine Butterfly Celebration Day.
Community Leadership School of the Year (Secondary)
Winner: Melbourne Girls’ College, Richmond
Sustainability in the spotlight: activism and policy
Melbourne Girls’ College (MGC) is engaging with its community by fostering student voice as it introduces ambitious waste policies.
In 2019, MGC banned landfill bins – a move with unwavering support from the school community, but considered bold enough to attract media interest.
The ban created robust dialogue about zero waste policy and aspirational waste reduction targets, and put the school’s sustainability efforts in the spotlight, inspiring MGC staff
and students to talk at conferences about their waste practices. It was an opportunity to strengthen the school’s connection to local community organisation Burnley Backyard through a program of shared composting.
MGC students lead Schools Climate Rallies (SS4C) activities, represented youth at the City of Yarra’s community panel discussion on how to talk to children about climate change, and annually organise the Student Environment Conference.
Finalists
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Students and teachers learning together
Braybrook College is involved in a range of programs enabling teachers and students to learn together. The annual Year 7 Environment Day brings together the entire school to participate in workshops on sustainable resource use and caring for native wildlife. In 2019, the workshops were hosted by ex-AFL footballer Glenn Manton and he worked with attendees to create individual sustainability goals
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Community knowledge sharing
Mackillop Catholic Regional College is committed to knowledge sharing and peer learning, encouraging students to present at conferences such as ‘Kids Teaching Kids’ to share their experiences. The school’s leadership team recently secured a $7000 grant to introduce an organic recycling system on campus and elected to share their successful grant application to help other schools on their sustainability journey.
Curriculum Leadership School of the Year (Primary)
Winner: Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School, Ocean Grove
Community action begins with the curriculum
Our Lady Star of the Sea’s innovative approach to sustainability in the curriculum prioritises student voice and the great outdoors, while supporting the achievement of ResourceSmart Schools modules.
Significant sustainability events and milestones are integrated in the curriculum. Teachers include sustainability in their fortnightly planning, and staff meetings showcase sustainability successes and ideas.
The school’s curriculum approach built the foundation for EarthFest, a festival inspiring the community on environmental issues and solutions, which created a local ‘ripple effect’ around sustainability awareness.
The school’s Sustainability Day was another valuable learning opportunity. Students welcomed guest speakers who conducted interactive sessions championing environmental issues.
Students took the lead when Year 6 completed the Rotary Junior Leadership Award focused on the environment, while senior students created businesses with sustainability elements.
Finalists
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Connecting to the natural world
Cornish College’s vision is to educate students to contribute to a sustainable future. They do this by connecting children to nature through an outdoor learning framework, in recognition that connection to nature is linked to pro-environmental behaviour.
This unique ‘4 rings of sustainability framework’ is considered at multiple touchpoints – from curriculum design, to classroom interaction.
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Sustainability-curious students encouraged to look ahead
Tatura Primary School develops and delivers quality learning experiences instilling a vision of a sustainable future. The school intertwines students’ knowledge, curiosities and interests with the Victorian Curriculum and school sustainability policy, including rich practical activities outside the classroom like the ‘Follow your Waste’ tour at the Cosgrove Landfill facility.
‘Envirokids’ are also elected by their peers to promote sustainable resource use and biodiversity conservation.
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Butterflies for biodiversity
Winters Flat Primary School embeds sustainability in school values. The school’s biodiversity projects linked to the curriculum include a 500-plant birdscape, annual tree planting, bush tucker garden and an extensive kitchen garden.
Their latest biodiversity project, the Eltham Copper Butterfly Habitat Project, involves rehabilitation of land using local plants to help students learn the importance of biodiversity, sustainability and Indigenous perspectives
Curriculum Leadership School of the Year (Secondary)
Winner: MacKillop Catholic Regional College, Werribee
A curriculum rich in opportunity
Mackillop Catholic Regional College provides students with a holistic understanding of sustainability by designing and teaching multiple units centred on sustainability, resource efficiency and biodiversity.
The school’s project-based learning model incorporates sustainability in multiple areas including art, design and science. It culminates in VCE Environmental Science, where students conduct soil, water and wildlife monitoring and contribute data to citizen science initiatives such as Backyard Bird Blitz and the frog census app.
Student engagement has increased dramatically where sustainability has been incorporated in classroom activities. A green chemistry unit in Year 10 science saw students design, manufacture and test environmentally-friendly cleaning products. Students also participated in bottle cap collection as part of their unit on biomimicry and prosthesis manufacture, while conservation and land management students participated in a range of horticultural and environmental activities.
Finalists
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Learning through a Victorian landmark
Academy of Mary Immaculate students benefit from a unique sustainability unit at Year 9, focused on Victoria’s iconic Yarra River.
Building on the stories of First Peoples from the Melbourne region, students travel to sites along the Yarra to measure and evaluate river health. They analyse their data, develop an awareness campaign and create a collaborative artwork with Visual Ecologist Aviva Reed.
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An innovative master plan for the future
Cornish College’s secondary and VCE programs ensure teaching and learning is viewed through the lens of personal, natural, socio‑cultural and urban technological sustainability.
The school has developed a master plan to support their goal of education for a sustainable future. Students study liveability and resource efficiency and conduct a year-long inquiry into change through the lens of sustainability and systems thinking.
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Sustainability through STEAM
Footscray High School excels at embedding sustainability in the science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) curriculum. All year levels are taught about an aspect of sustainability. Year 9 students constructed a sustainable tiny house as part of the Sustainable Architecture and Community Sustainability unit.
The school facilitates joint projects between other schools and universities, which includes meeting regularly to collaborate on solving environmental issues at a local scale.
School Volunteer of the Year
Winner: St Columba’s Green Team, St Columba’s Primary School, Elwood
Finalists:
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Planning for the road ahead
Kathryn Allen is the leader of the Malmsbury Primary School ResourceSmart Schools committee, and the driving force behind the school’s sustainability journey. Kathryn’s knowledge of sustainability and renewable energy helped the school create a Sustainability Action Plan. The plan embedded sustainability in the curriculum, established electricity consumption guidelines, and secured a grant to retrofit the school for energy efficiency.
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The power of the individual
Michelle Vernieux has led Aireys Inlet Primary School’s sustainability journey. Michelle’s legacy at the school includes the implementation of the ResourceSmart Schools program, the securing of grants worth over $25,000 to improve energy efficiency, and the development of ‘The Gathering Place’ – a biodiversity sanctuary for students to experience citizen science. She generously shares her wide skillset.
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Growing a love for nature
Between them, Owen Gemmil and Eric Allderdice have volunteered at Wooragee Primary School for close to a decade, leaving generations of students with sustainability in their hearts and minds. This dedicated duo teaches students about insects, native flora and bush tucker, and supported the school to build a frog bog, a three-tiered composting system and bee hotels for biodiversity.
2020 Awards booklet
Read the stories behind the schools in this beautiful booklet.
Future awards
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Want to know more?
Get in touch:
ResourceSmart Schools Awards, Sustainability Victoria
03 8626 8844
resourcesmartawards@sustainability.vic.gov.au
