ResourceSmart Schools is a free Victorian Government program that assists schools to embed sustainability into their campus, curriculum and community, proudly supported by Bayside City Council. The ResourceSmart Schools program provides practical support to schools to reduce resource use, make cost savings, integrate sustainability into the classroom and share learnings beyond the school gate.
St Finbar's Primary School in Brighton East are making incredible progress on their sustainability journey as part of the Resource Smart Schools program. Since joining the program in 2019, St Finbar's have embedded sustainable initiatives into every aspect of their school and created a new stream of achievement for students. They are currently working on their Biodiversity module, one of the 5 ResourceSmart modules, which includes installing and maintaining a vegetable garden!
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Watch the Grade 6 Student Sustainability Leaders discuss sustainability at St Finbar's
Each grade level has Student Sustainability Leaders who work with staff members to develop and implement sustainability initiatives, including:
- Running behaviour change campaigns to reduce use of resources including energy, water and waste.
- Diverting organic waste from landfill, using compost bays, worm farms and three very hungry helpers, the school's chooks - Cookie, Toffee and Midnight.
- Improving biodiversity through habitat restoration around the school for local native fauna (such as the luxurious Lizard Lounge), and participating in the Dolphin Research Institute's I Sea, I Care program to reduce pollution in the sea.
The Student Sustainability Leaders are passionate, with big ideas inspiring their teachers and fellow students to take environmental action. St Finbar's combined efforts are making an impact: they've reduced carbon emissions by 14 tonnes of CO2, reduced power use by implementing better shutdown procedures, and saved enough water to fill 20 shipping containers, not to mention saving more than $13,000 dollars for their school in bill reductions.
If you're interested in making your school more sustainable like St Finbar's, join the ResourceSmart School Program today. It's free for Victorian schools and designed to work in school ecosystems, inspiring students of all levels to get involved. Teachers are supported by CERES, who have helped hundreds of schools implement sustainability programs and make an impact.
You can also learn how Council can support your school on your sustainability journey, including implementation of the ResourceSmart Schools program.
Learn more about the ResourceSmart Schools program
