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Education Term 1 2023
FANTASTIC NO-PLASTIC
Welcome to 2023, educators!
By now we're sure you've heard the exciting news that the state-wide single-use plastics ban is in effect! Used for moments, these plastics can remain in the environment for centuries, polluting the environment and hurting wildlife.
Luckily, we’re making changes to the way we think about plastic. If your students are interested in alternatives like bioplastics, Casey Tech School has some great learning opportunities.
This Clean Up Australia Day, see what your own school is doing to fight the (plastic) power.
If you'd like to learn more about how the City of Casey can help support you in and out of the classroom, please email us at eduwaste@casey.vic.gov.au
TERM ONE DATES TO CELEBRATE
National Sustainable Living Festival 1-28 February 2023
School kitchen garden growing tips Thursday 16 February FREE
Creating Student Green Teams Monday 20 February FREE
Learning for Sustainability Conference Friday 24 February
How to conduct a litter/waste audit Wednesday 1 March FREE
How to conduct an energy audit Thursday 2 March FREE
Schools Clean up Australia Day Friday 3 March
Clean up Australia Day Sunday 5 March
Kickstarting sustainability in your school Wednesday 8 March FREE
How to enter your school’s resource use in RSS Online Thursday 9 March FREE
Closing date for ResourceSmart Schools Awards Monday 20 March 2023
Closing the Gap Day Wednesday March 15
VCE Environmental Science Teachers network meeting Thursday 23 March
National Ride to School Day Friday 24 March
Earth Hour 8:30 pm - 9:30 pm Saturday 25 March
Casey Food and Wine Festival Saturday April 1 Learn how Casey’s tackling waste education, food waste, food security and the ban on Single Use Plastics. FREE
After the bell – sustainability in agriculture Wednesday 5 April FREE
Free First Nations Calendar
Find teaching opportunities in Wingaru's list of key First Nations dates. There are a number of dates each year that are important for all Australians to be aware of and learn about.
CLASSROOM RESOURCES
PRESCHOOL & EARLY LEARNING
PRIMARY
Get Messy
Get your hands dirty with a day at Myuna Farm.
Check out all our Education for Sustainability excursions.
Assemble your Tools
Let’s be waste warriors! Learning resources for how to reduce, reuse and recycle. A variety of lesson plans and products.
Take the Quiz
Discover your Climate Superpowers! Then you can choose missions to take care of yourself and transform society.
SECONDARY
Trees in the Australian Garden
An excursion to the Australian Garden at Cranbourne to explore some of the remarkable and ingenious ways our trees have adapted to their environments, from ancient rainforests to deserts.
Investigating and Managing Soils
Discover the importance behind soil structure and the impacts it can have on food production and environmental sustainability, including climate change.
Food waste x soldier flies = food + fertiliser
Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae are popular with some gardeners for turning garden scraps into compost. The protein-rich larvae can be fed to chooks or used as fish bait. It's even being done on an industrial scale here in Melbourne!
ALL-AGES & COMMUNITY
That's so metal!
Did you know metals recovered from e-waste can be turned into jewellery, amongst other items?
Garden soil science
GardenSafe is a free initiative that turns you into a soil sleuth. It equips you with the knowledge and resources to manage the use of your backyard soil.
Birds in the Landscape
Practice your birdspotting for the Aussie Bird Count later in the year! Learn how birds have shaped the country’s forests and wildflowers on a guided tour through the Australian Garden.
LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH
Translated recycling posters
Our waste guide campaign poster (English) has been translated into the most popular languages other than English spoken in Casey - Arabic, Dari, Hazaragi, Hindi, Pashto, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Turkish and Ukrainian.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Supporting First Nations Content
You can use this toolkit any time of the year, not just during National NAIDOC Week in July. In fact, the more you use this toolkit, the more opportunities you will create to form genuine partnerships, celebrate indigenous excellence and amplify Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices.
New Foundation-Primary Resources
Our education team is working hard to create some, fresh new resources for our youngest students and their educators.
Keep an eye on education and workshop events.
Teaching Fire and Flood Resilience
A roadmap for how to approach teaching a unit on fire and flood resilience in the classroom. While primarily focused on fire and flood resilience, it will reference the importance of an all-hazards approach to disaster resilience education.
GRANTS, PROGRAMS, COMPETITIONS AND CHALLENGES
Reuse and recycle: Sustainable Scarecrow Competition Closes Friday 17 March 2023
The Victorian Schools Garden Program is encouraging students to build a Sustainable Scarecrow to ward off critters in the Home Grown Vegie Patch at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show 2023. Also, sign up here for free student passes!
James N. Kirby Foundation Grants – closes 28 February 2023
These grants support organisations that provide innovative solutions and opportunities to those in the community who need it most in the areas of education, technology, the environment, health, social welfare, or the arts. Only groups with DGR status can apply.
Victorian Schools Garden Program (VSGP) - opens 1 March 2023
Education Assistance Allowance (Opening the Doors Foundation) - closes March 2023 These grants assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families with the extra costs of schooling. Applicants must be enrolled in a Catholic or Independent educational institution in Victoria.
Victorian Legal Service Board Grants Program – closes 3 March 2023
These grants are available to non-profit organisations that aim to improve the administration of laws, increase access to justice, improve legal services, pilot innovations and/or educate the wider community about legal services.
Community Legal Grants (Victoria Law Foundation) – closes 6 March 2023
This funding supports projects that improve community understanding of a civil legal issue or help to navigate the Victorian justice system where there is a demonstrated legal need. Projects likely to be funded include development of tools or resources, workshops, or pilot projects that trial new strategies or approaches.
Social Justice Small Grants (Mercy Foundation) – closes 13 March 2023
This program provides seed funding to assist organisations with projects that help create structural change and bring about greater social justice in Australia. In 2023, priority will be given to projects that address family and domestic violence.
Westfield Local Heroes – closes 30 March 2023
This is a recognition and awards program that celebrates people who make a positive impact in the community. Individuals are nominated and voted for by community members, with finalists awarded a grant to support their work. Nominees must be affiliated with an eligible organisation whose work positively impacts on the community or environment within the local area of a Westfield Centre such as Westfield Fountain Gate, Southland or Knox.
OBrien Real Estate Foundation Grants - closes 31 March 2023
These grants fund specific projects in the areas of education, community sport, support groups, innovative community projects and medical research. Projects and organisations should be in close proximity to an OBrien Real Estate Office which in Casey includes Berwick, Cranbourne, Endeavour Hills and Narre Warren.
SilverChef Community Grants - closes 31 March 2023
This grant is open to community groups that use hospitality or food services to help disadvantaged or under-served members of their local community. Grants of commercial kitchen equipment and cash grants to help with freight and equipment installation are available.
SHARE YOUR STORIES
We would love to hear about what environmental programs/initiatives you are doing with your students. If you would like to share in future editions, please email us at eduwaste@casey.vic.gov.au.
For your students - what are their tips, hacks or even questions for using, reusing, upcycling and recycling? Please share them with us via email or through the Green Living in Casey Facebook group.
