Sustainable Schools

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Environment and Sustainability Education Programs

We offer a suite of programs and incursions that help local schools teach students about sustainability and our local environment. 

All our content is delivered through fun, interactive sessions tailored to suit the year level and linked to the Victorian curriculum.

"The mixture of learning, activities and movement were perfectly targeted to this age group. The presenters were kind and informative, encouraging students to think and take control of resources used in school." 
Teacher, Altona College – 2023

"My students enjoyed the mix and match organising activity. Good balance for this age group of screen, pen and paper, sorting and discussion.”
Teacher, Queen of Peace Primary School – 2023 

Click the links below to learn more about our Council-wide Environmental Education offerings:

Primary School - Environmental Education 2024(PDF, 5MB)

(PDF, 5MB)Secondary School - Environmental Education 2024(PDF, 4MB)

Sustainable School Programs 2024

Waste & Recycling Info Sessions (Kinder)

For 4-year-old kindergarten groups

We run fast, fun and free incursion sessions for 4-year-old kinder groups - highlighting the importance of waste and recycling through games and visual elements. These sessions are delivered by experienced facilitators and aim to build foundation knowledge in the recyclers of the future.

  • Aligns with the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework
  • No extra work for educators
  • Fun, interactive and educational
  • Encourage family conversations about waste, recycling and the environment

To register your interest please email us at nviro@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au

 

Beyond the Bin Incursions (Grade P - 6)

For Prep through to Grade 6

We offer council-funded incursions to local primary schools right throughout the year. These curriculum-aligned incursions are designed to be easy for teachers and schools to accommodate. It is a free service, so all local schools can participate. Most importantly, it’s a really fun, feel-good way to engage kids and families in recycling and building connections to our local environment.

  • Linked to the Victorian curriculum (technology and society, science, geography)
  • No extra work for teachers
  • Tailored to suit year level
  • Fun, interactive and educational
  • Encourage family conversations about waste, recycling and the environment 
  • Promotion for local schools

"We had just started a conservation unit in inquiry learning and this was a fabulous introduction for our students. The mixture of learning, activities and movement were perfectly targeted to this age group. The presenters were kind and informative, encouraging students to think and take control of resources used in school. The lovely bonus for the students was being able to take a magnet home to continue using the information learnt beyond the incursion and into their everyday lives."
Teacher, Altona College – 2023

To register your interest please click HERE.

OzHarvest FEAST Program (Grade 5 - 6)

The Food Education and Sustainability Training Program (FEAST) is a 10 week classroom-ready program, tackling one of Australia's biggest challenges - food waste. Respected food rescue charity OzHarvest created this program to inspire students to eat healthy, waste less and become community change-makers.

The program aligns with the Australian curriculum outcomes and the cross-curriculum priority of sustainability. Participating schools will receive all the tools necessary to teach low-waste healthy eating classes in their school - no kitchen required!

To register your interest please click HERE.

CSIRO STEM Community Partnerships Program (Year 8 - 10)

For secondary school students

We’ve partnered with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and local businesses to deliver this exciting project-based learning program to schools in Hobsons Bay. 

Over 12-18 weeks, students are engaged to solve real-world, local environmental problems using skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Participating teachers are also connected with a local STEM professional to provide support in bringing real-life STEM to the classroom.

The curriculum-based program:

  • Develops core STEM skills in students and teachers
  • Highlights local STEM careers and opportunities for students with potential work placement opportunities
  • Provides avenues for students to develop their STEM skills locally in a meaningful way
  • Fosters relationships between local schools and industry
  • Improves student engagement, participation and learning outcomes in STEM
  • Empowers students to play a part in addressing environmental sustainability issues at a local level

To register your interest please email us at sustainability@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au

 

2024 Environmental School Outreach Week: Beyond the Bin (Secondary)

For secondary school students 

Local secondary schools are invited to be part of a Council-funded Environmental School Outreach Week, where we are running free waste education sessions. 

  • Linked to the Victorian curriculum (science, design and technologies)
  • No extra work for teachers
  • Tailored to suit year level
  • Fun, interactive and educational
  • Encourage family conversations about waste, recycling and the environment

What teachers said about the 2023 Hobsons Bay Environmental School Outreach Week

  • “It was amazing. Engaging. Lovely presenter.”
  • “Lots of engagement from students and inspired critical thinking and questioning. A very informative session that taught the students (and teachers) some great ways to deal with waste.”
  • “My students enjoyed the mix and match organising activity. Good balance for this age group of screen, pen and paper, sorting and discussion.”

To register your interest in the 2024 Environmental School Outreach Week, please click here.

 

Werribee Open Range Zoo 'Love Your Locals' Excursion (Primary)

Running in term 3, your school is invited to learn about our incredible local species and their unique habitat at a free, fun-filled and educational day at Werribee Open Range Zoo. The excursion is designed to broaden student knowledge on local environment, Indigenous and sustainability issues. The program also empowers students to look at how their local community can reduce environmental impact and limit threats to endangered species and habitats.

SESSION OUTLINE

The excursion will take place in Term 3 2024 and includes free buses from your school to the zoo and back.

On the day students will be engaged to:

• foster a greater understanding and appreciation of Hobsons Bay’s endangered species

• gain knowledge on local environment, Indigenous and sustainability issues

• look at positive actions we can take as individuals and as a community to lessen our environmental impact and reduce threats to endangered species and habitats.

To be involved in the Love Your Locals excursion, we require some class preparation including:

• Class attendance to an online webinar in Term 3

• Class response to a specific question about creating safe habitats for animals. The response could be a model, poetry, artwork, song, play, poster, digital presentation or any other creative format to highlight how green and wildlife friendly the western region could look in the future.

To express your interest please click HERE.

To learn more please email us at sustainability@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au

 

For other programs listed in the Environmental Education 2024 brochure, follow the links included in the PDF.