Entries open for ResourceSmart Schools Awards

Entries are now open for the 2024 ResourceSmart Schools Awards, Victoria’s largest sustainability celebration for primary and secondary school students, teachers and school volunteers taking remarkable sustainability action.

This year, Sustainability Victoria is marking 15 years of the ResourceSmart Schools Awards with the theme, ‘Legendary Legacies – what will you leave behind?’.

Katie Pahlow, Director Regions & Community Action, Sustainability Victoria, says the theme is a celebration of the outstanding work achieved by the hundreds of Victorian schools that have been part of the ResourceSmart Schools program.

Read the latest print edition of School News HERE

“These schools are not only making a difference now but they’re leaving a legacy for the next generation through their sustainability endeavours.

“The ResourceSmart Schools Awards is an opportunity to recognise the tremendous achievements of the teachers, students, school staff and the wider community who are creating a sustainable future. I encourage all schools to showcase the environmental work they’re doing, no matter how small. Together, we can make a positive impact and inspire others to take action.”

Newham Primary School near Woodend has been an active ResourceSmart school since 2013 and has become a 5-star school. The school has focussed strongly on biodiversity, obtaining funding for a biodiversity project, increasing habitat for fauna, revegetating with more than 200 indigenous plants. The school has also held events based on biodiversity such as a community tree planting day, presentations from ecologists, teaching biodiversity in the curriculum, and being actively involved with state-wide and local organisations such as Kids Teaching Kids and Landcare. The school operates solely on tank water, has solar panels and has an evolving vegetable garden including composting being used in garden beds.

Since 2008, more than 1600 schools have participated in the ResourceSmart Schools program. Together, they have saved more than $45 million on bills, planted 5.3 million trees, diverted 155,000 cubic metres of waste from landfill and saved 1.6 million kilolitres of water.

Every primary and secondary school registered in the ResourceSmart Schools program is eligible to enter the awards and go in the running for a range of prizes presented at a prestigious awards ceremony held at the MCG on June 4.

Sustainability Victoria can support schools entering the awards by providing written feedback and consultation meetings. Schools can reach out by email here.

Read about some outstanding ResourceSmart Schools from 2023 here.