Schools taking sustainability action
Students from all levels complete gardening and cooking activities every fortnight. Community members beyond family, including the school's rabbis, are invited to the sessions.
Mount Scopus Memorial College has been nominated as a finalist in the 2023 ResourceSmart Schools Awards in the category of Community Leadership of the Year (Primary).
It is one of 23 schools and 35 finalists vying for an award in Victoria’s largest celebration for primary and secondary school students, teachers and school volunteers taking sustainability action.
The school began its environmental journey by establishing a kitchen garden in 2009, which has been critical in teaching students about climate change, sustainable food practices, and connecting with traditions and celebrations.
Students from all levels complete gardening and cooking activities every fortnight. Community members beyond family, including the school’s rabbis, are invited to the sessions.
According to Katie Pahlow, Sustainability Victoria’s Director of Regions and Community Action, the ResourceSmart Schools Awards celebrates young people and schools leading the way on sustainability, creating real impact for Victorian communities beyond the school gate.
“It’s important to remember that no action is too small and together we can achieve great things for our environment and generations to come,” Pahlow said.
Since 2008, more than 1400 Victorian schools have participated in the program. Collectively they have saved more than $41 million on bills, reduced more than 118,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases through energy, water and waste efficiencies, diverted 194,000 cubic metres of waste from landfill, saved 1,884,783 kilolitres of water and planted more than 5 million trees.
This year’s winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at the MCG on June 15.
More information about this year’s finalists can be found at https://sustainability.vic.gov.au/resourcesmart-schools-awards.
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