Three local schools, Mount Lilydale Mercy College, Wandin North Primary School and Tecoma Primary School have been nominated as finalists in the 2024 ResourceSmart Schools Awards.
Mount Lilydale Mercy College (MLMC) has been nominated in four categories: Community Leadership School of the Year, Curriculum Leadership School of the Year, Teacher of the Year, and Campus Infrastructure and Operations.
For the third time in the past three years, MLMC has achieved finalist nominations for curriculum and community leadership, with teacher Andrew Feher receiving his second consecutive nomination for Teacher of the Year (Secondary).
Wandin North Primary School is celebrating its first finalist nomination in three categories of the awards: Curriculum Leadership School of the Year, Teacher of the Year (Primary), and Emerging School of the Year.
Wandin North only joined the ResourceSmart Schools program in 2023 and has achieved its two-star status in record time thanks to nominated teacher Laura Attrill. In only one year, Laura’s passion has embedded sustainability in the curriculum and using her creativity connected the school with local organisations.
A ResourceSmart School since 2012, Tecoma Primary School has been nominated as a finalist for Community Leadership School of the Year (Primary) with the judges commending its array of community initiatives and connections.
By working with local groups such as Treasure our Trees, the school improves the campus’ gardens and works in an indigenous garden with Australian Native Food plants. As part of Clean Up Australia Day, the school and the local community got together to clear the rail trail between Tecoma and Belgrave. To tackle waste, the students educate peers on the bin system, and feed the school’s worm farm and chickens with food scraps. They also sell eggs to raise funds for their garden projects.
There are 22 schools vying for an award in Victoria’s largest celebration for primary and secondary school students, teachers and school volunteers taking 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?’.
Sustainability Victoria Regions and Community Action director Katie Pahlow 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.
“These schools are not only making a difference now but they’re leaving a legacy for the next generation through their sustainability endeavours,” she says.
“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.”
ResourceSmart Schools is a free Victorian Government program delivering sustainability education to help Victorian schools minimise waste, save energy and water, promote biodiversity and act on climate change.
Since 2008, ResourceSmart Schools has reached over 1,600 Victorian schools. Participating schools have planted more than 5 million trees, saved over $60 million through energy, waste and water savings and avoided over 74,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases.
This year’s winners will be announced at a prestigious awards ceremony held at the MCG on 4 June. For information about this year’s finalists, please visit www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/resourcesmart schools-awards-2024-finalists
