2023 ResourceSmart Schools Awards

Last updated: 24 September 2024
Share
students with resourcesmart schools awards 2023

For the 14th edition of the ResourceSmart Schools Awards, we're celebrating everyone who has been working so hard at achieving great things – no action is too small.

Tomorrow’s leaders have arrived. Our young people and schools are already 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 2023 program (pdf, 10MB) to learn more about the winners and finalists.

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: Ardeer South Primary School, Sunshine West

The power of research, grants, and community action.

Students, staff and parents are all behind this school’s brand-new urban forest, food-producing garden and orchard, Lilly Pilly courtyard, community greenhouse, and their beloved Hope Garden. These spaces were designed to improve students’ wellbeing and local biodiversity.

Grants from Woolworths, DEECA, Brimbank Council, and Queen’s Jubilee Tree Planting Program supported the set up of these areas that are diligently cared for by the school’s Foresters and Farmers student leaders and the Gardening Club.

A whole school-run competition supported learning about passive shading to increase canopy cover, while research informed the Hope Garden wellbeing aspirations.

A mix of research, grant applications, community passion, and local inspiration were the key ingredients for Ardeer South Primary School’s amazing green journey.

Finalists

Campus infrastructure and Operations School of the Year

Celebrating the school that best demonstrates their commitment to environmental sustainability.

Winner: Castlemaine Steiner School and Kindergarten, Muckleford

A school designed with permaculture principles and community spirit.

Parents and students built the school’s first buildings from mud bricks and followed permaculture practices from the very beginning.

The school established its own wetland and island and now uses this area to work on the River Detectives program, planting native trees, watching birds, and weaving cumbungi to clean wastewater.

The Bushfood Island was created by collecting water from the surrounding area in a dam and the entire wetland includes 3 effluent ponds, one dam, and four large water tanks. Surface water from the school grounds feeds into the dam and storm water is used for gardening and firefighting purposes.

This school has solar panels and energy-efficient lighting that cut down bills by 25 to 30 per cent. However, their monumental water infrastructure and the fact that they attracted over 120 species of birds with their wetland-island haven is what makes this school a rare permaculture gem.

Finalists

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: St Therese’s School, Essendon

The Dads club: the parental environmental action committee.

Inspired by the ABC War on Waste documentary, a group of parents contacted the schools featured in the show to exchange ideas. This action inspired students to audit the canteen and ban toxic products but also kickstarted sustainability in the school.

The Parental Environmental Action Committee formed by 20 fathers hosted a waste-free camping experience with 40 students using portable bins to educate them on waste streams.

One of the dads, the owner of a sustainability-oriented workwear company, sponsored a stand at the school fete where he addressed fast fashion and its impact on water consumption.

This dad-led club donates its time and expertise to embed sustainability in the school while raising a generation of environmentally-conscious children.

Finalists

Teacher of the Year

This category recognises teachers who best demonstrate leadership in sustainability.

Primary Teacher Winner: Ms Danielle Lamport, Monbulk Primary School, Monbulk

Forging a culture of responsible leaders.

Danielle started her ResourceSmart journey in 2015 as the sole member of the sustainability team. She is responsible for the school’s 4 Star certification, embedding sustainability in the science curriculum for all year levels, and adding renewable energy activities in the STEM program.

Under Danielle’s guidance, student leaders introduced a rubbish-free lunch policy, created a list for parents of non-packaged snacks and contacted local businesses to source lunchboxes with separate compartments.

In 7 years, Danielle has created a staff sustainability team, introduced sustainability captains, supported the environmental national days, and spearheaded new infrastructure such as solar panels, water tanks, LED lights, and a kitchen garden.

Although Danielle has certainly contributed to the school infrastructure, it is her ability to shape and empower environmentally-aware generations that is her greatest achievement.

Finalists

Secondary Teacher Winner: Ms Rowena Archer, Braybrook College, Braybrook

Over 20 years of environmental stewardship.

Rowena’s vision for sustainability started in the 90s when she instigated the inclusion of the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) Environmental Studies elective. Her innovative eye is also behind the school’s Year 7 Environment Day, a yearly event with impacts on the whole community, and the 2022 Climate Emergency Program, which involved 500 students.

Heading the school’s Careers Team, Rowena’s creativity stood out as she worked with a local virtual reality company to secure the launch of the students’ Climate Change VR experience.

Rowena’s negotiation skills saw the school increase its solar panels from 3 to 100kW, conduct a carbon audit, source a specialised air‑quality analysis machine, and install new water tanks and waste and biodiversity facilities.

Rowena’s dedication is infectious and has inspired parents, and ensured students enjoy a culture of sustainability. Colleagues describe Rowena as “Braybrook College’s teacher of the century”.

Finalists

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: Chewton Primary School, Chewton

Connecting with First Nation people to learn about sustainable practices.

The School Environmental Management Plan (SEMP), developed by parents and the School Council, became the base of the Whole School Inquiry Scope and Sequence with sustainability at its core.

In 2022, the whole school completed a STEM biodiversity unit, learning about culture, history, science, and ethics, culminating in a Reconciliation Walk along the banks of Forest Creek to Me-Mandook Galk, the ‘grandmother tree’. Students investigated the sustainability practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and created a series of storyboards along the walk.

Grade 5 and 6 students learnt about the value of habitat protection, while foundation and grade 1 and 2 students worked on waste and tackled the school’s biggest litter problem, muesli bar wrappers, by making home-made bars to inspire the community.

Students from grade 3 and 4 investigated energy efficiency, which influenced the school’s lighting upgrades.

Finalists

Secondary School Winner: Lilydale Heights College, Lilydale

Environmental awareness and responsibility across all levels.

Students across the school teamed up to perform resource audits covering litter, ocean plastic waste, biodiversity and general waste.

Year 7 Maths students were responsible for litter, year 9 Humanities students cared for biodiversity, and year 10 Sustainable Futures students looked after waste.

Science and Humanities students from year 8 worked together on the Ocean Plastic Waste unit, which focussed on solutions to environmental problems from a human and ecosystem perspective.

Year 10 Kitchen Garden students learnt about horticulture, science, and food technology from a sustainability perspective.

All year levels were offered the Student Engagement in Learning for the Future (SELF) subject in 2022, providing the Sustainability Team and the Sustainability Captains with the opportunity to create a lesson on waste streaming.

Lilydale Heights is proud to have a First Nations advocate and Indigenous perspectives are integrated across the curriculum.

Finalists

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 Winner: Eastwood Primary School & Deaf Facility, Ringwood East

Generosity and partnerships for collective action.

With a long-lasting commitment to sustainability, this 5 Star school worked closely with Maroondah Council, participating in incursions, Tree Day, and Ride and Walk to School activities. The school also partnered with Bedford Park Community Group and Precious Plastics to recycle plastic bottle tops.

With a Climate and Health Small Grant from EACH, the school was able to improve their kitchen garden program by addressing climate change and extending access to all students. This initiative provided Ringwood Church of Christ with soup for families in need.

The school contributed to the Department of Education’s Sustainable Schools resource development by providing input and reviewing documents.

A school delegation from the US visited the campus in 2022. The visitors enjoyed a student-led tour, learnt about ResourceSmart Schools, participated in a kitchen session, and will hopefully follow in the footsteps of this remarkable community-oriented school.

Finalists

Secondary School Winner: Braybrook College, Braybrook

Meaningful experiences that inspire a whole community.

In 2022, the school’s Environment Committee invited a local politician to talk about sustainability, which planted the seed for the school to aim for carbon neutrality, a path they are already well on their way to achieving.

Braybrook College’s carbon neutrality ambitions are backed by a multi-pronged approach that upskills students and staff while engaging with the community. The school encourages recycling and reuse with stations for old batteries and mobile phones, as well as book exchanges.

The traditional Year 7 Environment Day revolves around sustainability-related topics. Students and staff attended the Meteorology, Water, and Virtual Reality climate change workshop, learnt from Fisheries Victoria facilitators, and enjoyed a silent disco activity with sustainability themed music.

Throughout 2022, students have also participated in the Ride2School Day, Earth Hour, audits and activities to increase biodiversity, and the Seeds for Space program.

Finalist

Student Action Team of the Year

Celebrating student teams that best demonstrate environmental leadership.

Primary School Winner: Overnewton Anglican Community College, Yirramboi campus, Keilor

Making noise to make a point.

With weekly meetings, the Waa’s Helpers remain determined to promote positive environmental change. They presented at the North West Communities for Climate Action Conference, attended the Schools Strike 4 Climate, and regularly provide sustainability updates during school assemblies, on social media, and even in the local press.

This motivated student action team was pivotal in achieving the school’s 1 Star certification. They created signage on waste and energy action and introduced plants in each classroom. Moreover, they entered the Environment Education Victoria’s Sustainability Test Competition, winning a worm farm for the school.

For Sustainability Week, the team invited The Little Litter Project to present ways to eliminate litter.

The Waa’s Helpers also worked with RMIT students on analysing the effect of climate change on their school, expanding their perspectives and spheres of influence.

Finalists

Secondary School Winner: Victory Lutheran College, Wodonga

Organised action for clear goals.

The school’s ResourceSmart Team is made up of 23 students from years 5 to 11. Meeting fortnightly, their agenda includes discussing available grants and competitions, recycling initiatives, and crafting and selling eco-bricks and food wraps.

Their determination and outstanding organisational skills were crucial to achieving the school’s 2 Star certification.

To promote biodiversity, the team organised a frog discovery tour and monitored species in their ecosystem using the Australian Museum Frog ID App. They also undertook pollinator counts and participated in the Aussie Backyard Bird Count.

They encourage sustainable behaviour among their peers by promoting recycling, compost bins, solar cones and sharing second-hand uniforms between families.

The ResourceSmart Team promotes their activities based on module progression, as well as environmental community events, to keep everyone in the loop on sustainability action for a healthier environment.

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: Eastwood Primary School & Deaf Facility

Over a decade of enduring action.

This 5 Star school represents the primary sector in the Eastern Alliance for Sustainable Learning (EASL) educators reference group. Always happy to support their peers, they have become leaders among Victorian schools.

The school embeds sustainability as a cross-curricular priority and dedicates a whole school term to environmental learning. Additionally, the school supported the Department of Education by reviewing sustainability resources.

Last year, the school community regenerated their campus by repairing planter boxes, renewing garden beds, reviving package‑free food days, and bringing back the Active Travel Weekly Tally Competition.

Eastwood Primary School & Deaf Facility joined the program over 12 years ago, achieved 5 Star status in 2020, and is the 2023 ResourceSmart School of the Year thanks to their remarkable commitment to achieving great things for the environment.

Finalists