Sustainable Schools Network Journal: Issue 18

Issue 18 | September-October 2021

l a n r u o J

New Feature: Justine Dillon - Kombumerri Woman Agora School, Roermond | Sue Martin 7-Eleven | Isabela Keski-Frantti | Niall Kennard

ISSUE FEATURES

The SSN acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respect to Indigenous Elders past, present and emerging.

WITH THANKS: ISSUE 17 Managing Editor - Patricia Lee Coordinator/Partnerships - Katie Norman Graphic Designer - John Hall Columnist - Dr Alison Sammel Columnist - Justine Dillon Book Review - Carmelo Fedele Hints & Tips - Ed Burton School - Agora School, Roermond Teacher - Sue Martin Organisation - 7-Eleven Community - Isabela Keski-Frantti Youth - Niall Kennard

Events Calendar

3

Justine Dillon’s Column

4

School Feature

8

Teacher Feature

13

The Sustainable Schools Network Journal is published by the Sustainable Schools Network Pty Ltd. Copyright Sustainable Schools Network, Australia 2021.

Issue 18 | September-October 2021

Jou rnal

COVER STORY Thank you to Sue Martin for being our Issue 17 Teacher Champion. To

Book Review

13

read her story check out page 13.

Agora School, Roermond | Sue Martin 7-Eleven | Isabela Keski-Frantti | Niall Kennard

Organisation Feature

14

Business Manager Feature

18

Hints & Tips

20

JOYFUL DISCLAIMER The SSN Journal is designed and created to share stories of how schools and their communities educate for sustainability.

Youth Feature

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Some people featured are just getting started, whilst others have been at this for a long time. We share these different perspectives to demonstrate the importance of the lived

Dr Ali’s CPD Column

25

experience and the value of every point in the journey.

To share your story or ask questions please email: info@ssn.org.au

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r a d n e l a C s t n e v E

The Sustainable Schools Network Journal Events Calendar is presented to help you align your school’s sustainability initiatives around special events, whilst also keeping track of professional development opportunities.

NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY MONTH

September

Promoting the importance of biodiversity Get involved in 2021 <

PICNICS UNWRAPPED

Spring 2021: Host a plastic free picnic this spring!

More info here <

KIDS TEACHING KIDS WEEK

6-10 September: National peer teaching program Workshop Toolkit <

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DEMOCRACY

15 September: Linked to SDG 16 Call to action <

WORLD GRATITUDE DAY

21 September: Celebrate a full day of gratitude Great ideas here <

BUY NOTHING NEW MONTH

October

A global movement for conscientious consumption Call to action <

WORLD SMILE DAY

1 October: Do an act of kindness Help one person smile <

WORLD TEACHERS DAY

5 October: Leading in crisis - reimagining the future More info here <

NATIONAL NUTRITION WEEK 10-16 October: Try for 5 Get involved <

World environmental education day 14 October: Make the difference More info here <

SAVE THE KOALA DAY

AUSSIE BACKYARD BIRD COUNT

24 September: I need a hero Get involved <

18-24 October: Make every bird count Register here <

WORLD RIVERS DAY

NATIONAL WATER WEEK

26 September: Celebrating the world’s waterways!

Teacher resources <

18-24 October: Caring for water and Country Learning resources <

AAEE CONFERENCE

CHILDREN’S WEEK

28-30 September: Mandjoogoordap - Changing Tides Register here <

23-31 October: Children have the right to choose More info here < Page 3

Indigenous Education Column

Justine Dillon

KOMBUMERRI WOMAN’s perspective

“

understanding what it means to be a traditional owner...

”

Ngarang-Wal G.C.A.A Inc. is proud to protect and conserve our only Kombumerri-owned asset the Guanaba Indigenous Protected Area in our beautiful Hinterland boasting 200 acres of dry sclerophyll and rainforest. My role extends beyond land management to community engagement, cultural activities, education

Kaiala Minaghu!! (Best wishes & welcome)

in schools & universities and working with policy and

My name is Justine Dillon, I am a Kombumerri/

advising different tiers of government on appropriate,

Noonuccal/Ngugi Traditional Owner.

respectful engagement.

I have been fortunate enough to live and work on

I am proud of my heritage and have always identified

my father’s Kombumerri Country (Gold Coast) for

as an Aboriginal woman, never understanding as a

my entire life, my father ensured we never moved

young, white-skinned girl why people would ask if my

away from our Traditional lands and every school

darker-skinned Dad was my step-father or a stranger.

holidays were spent on our other bloodline connected

I understand these misconceptions a bit better now

Country, Quandamooka/North Stradbroke Island. The

and have summarised personally that a lot of it is

Kombumerri occupied the Gold Coast area – South to

due to lack of education about Aboriginal heritage in

the Tweed, North to the Coomera River and West to

schooling – from what I have been told and witnessed

Tamborine Mountain.

it has really been a generational gap of information.

I remember various parts in the early 90’s of my own

My three local Saltwater Aboriginal bloodlines are

primary education and hearing about Captain Cook,

Kombumerri (Gold Coast), Noonuccal (North Stradbroke

never really hearing or seeing Indigenous perspectives

Island) & Ngugi (Moreton Island), all mixed with a

or immersion of any culture into curriculum activities.

heritage containing English, Irish & Brazilian.

Going home and hearing a completely different history from our families was never very difficult, it had its

My current role is representing my Kombumerri

moments – but more insightful to see how people

lineage through my work with Ngarang-Wal Gold Coast

misunderstood our full history from a young age and

Aboriginal Association Incorporated (G.C.A.A Inc.). I

being warned by Elders to not be too loud about it all

am the project coordinator representing our people in

the time as some people would not understand. Being

environmental conservation, community liaison and

told I was too white to be Aboriginal by educators

protection of our cultural heritage. I have had many

was upsetting when topics come up, but this proud

different occupations, trying to find what I wanted to

girl was the first to throw her hand up and say, “I’m

do with my life, however after completing my Bachelor

Aboriginal!!” - only to be faced with stunned looks or

of Education (Primary) with Griffith University and

misbelief, judgement but it never deterred me from

working for my family organisation – it made sense to

identifying. All through high school, even my peers

combine our environmental and cultural knowledge for

would doubt my heritage and attack me verbally, but I

community benefits.

would persevere contesting them but eventually gave

Page 4

Owner body.

that they have met my family and been to my house and I am definitely from a black family!!

Here on the Gold Coast, we have worked with local education bodies about integrity in schools and

I have learnt that some teachers do not teach

stopping educators grabbing parents and families for

components of Indigenous culture, I asked some fellow

engagement that have no prior educational experiences

educators why this happens, and they expressed they

– this is important to our people to ensure the safety

were never taught anything about indigenous culture,

and wellbeing of local schools and students and that

lack confidence and feel they would say & do the wrong

they have a connection with the Traditional Owner

thing, and don’t want to misinform students. I guess

families.

Indigenous Education Column

up, only for my friends to step up and tell these people

this is what makes me so passionate now to ensure Australian First Nations people are embedded into

My goals for my people and Country include getting

our teaching curriculums and educators need to have

my people confident and learning to appreciate their

the confidence to deliver this content. Educators are

own value, so many skills around for our communities

contracting our Indigenous people to complete their

to engage in, but I want to ensure our people are not

learning and teaching units, which is beneficial to

taken advantage of. I face many challenges and have

include the Indigenous community, however it is not

shared some below and look forward to sharing my

our job to come in and teach what should be within

experiences and delve further into how our families

their scope of works. I have suggested that their needs

and culture have a lot of sustainability knowledge

to be a set rate of engagement costs across the board

and how we share can that equitably. Our people are

to ensure integrity on both sides – our people not

a bank of information, particularly those that have

overcharging and schools not taking advantage.

never left Country like our family and have maintained that constant connection and that information is being

As a Traditional Owner with specified information

sought after more as we face climate change issues and

about local Gold Coast Aboriginal culture, I have been

changing environments.

able to create relationships with schools, teachers, and the teaching bodies to ensure local engagement is being captured and used correctly under our Aboriginal protocol and lore. Ensuring engagement is respectful

So, what is a traditional owner?

and not used as a ‘fill-in’ to tick that box for learning and teaching culture.

Traditional Owner or TO: a local descent group of Aboriginals who: (a) have common spiritual affiliations

Educators have a responsibility to their students and

to a site on the land, being affiliations that place the

themselves to ensure they know what Aboriginal or

group under a primary spiritual responsibility for that

Torres Strait Islander Country they are teaching on

site and for the land; and (b) are entitled by Aboriginal

and who the Traditional Owners are – this should be

tradition to forage as of right over that land. I am a

your first step as an educator and then discussing the

Traditional Owner of my Kombumerri & Quandamooka

different levels of engagement with community. If your

Country.

school or work-place has had previous engagement, that’s wonderful but please ensure they are a recognised Traditional Owner of the local area and not taking that economic opportunity away from the people originally from that country. Almost every regional area has a Traditional Owner body or organisation – can be found on Office of Fair Trading, ORIC, some are still referred to as Lands Councils or even reach out to NIAA and they should be able to direct you to a Traditional

As the Sustainable Schools Network Journal originated in the Gold Coast, we have asked a local traditional owner to contribute to further understanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Histories and Culture.

We value and honour the work of Justine and her family.

Page 5

Indigenous Education Column

Misconceptions broken

Protection of cultural assets – what I’ve learnt

• We belong to more than 5,000 different groups and

• Tread lightly on Country – Country is the land, flora,

speak more than 7,000 languages!!

fauna, the elements like the wind, rain etc. -

• Aborigine’ is generally perceived as insensitive,

everything around us.

because it has racist connotations

• Do not take from the natural resources unless told you

• You’re best off saying saying ‘Aboriginal person’,

can, never take more then you need to – always let the

‘Aboriginal’, ‘Torres Strait Islander’, “Indigenous’ or

resource replenish.

‘First Nation person/s’

• Check cultural lore and sites e.g., men vs women’s sites

• There are no correct spellings with clans,

& entry conditions to be culturally appropriate, some

language lore etc., although there are commonly

of these areas may forbid entry due to local beliefs.

accepted spellings.

• Our culture recognises people, country & language as

• Always capitlise ‘Aboriginal’, it can refer to an

the main aspects of what is valued the most – ensure

Indigenous person from anywhere in the World

you check what aspects your First Nation people value

without capital letter

the most to ensure success of your ventures.

First Nation History of Australia (as I know) • Aboriginal people inhabited the Australian continent with evidence of occupation at Lake Mungo dated at 60,000 years old and more evidence being found regularly.

• In 1770, Captain Cook mapped our Australian Coastline, on 26th January 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip settled in Botany Bay, Sydney Cove and terra nullius was declared at the time of settlement.

• History – White Australia Policy/Assimilation Policy, no recognition in National data/census... not declared as anything is the Australian referendum... flora and fauna was classified before the Indigenous people of Australia.

• Disease and massacres of Indigenous groups occurred all over Australia for farmlands and occupation of lands. Indigenous people would work the land as farm hands, caretakers for Settler families and majority were not paid wages – reparations are available for wages, but some are impossible to track down due to Stolen Generation removals.

• Australian Indigenous people had endless natural resources & remedies to sustain their way of life prior to settlement until disease, food, drinks & substances

Justine Dillon is a Kombumerri Traditional Owner and Project Worker at Ngarang-Wal Gold Coast Aboriginal Association.

were introduced to alter our traditional way of living forever.

To contact Justine please email info@ssn.org.au Page 6

Win Win Win! • • • •

Cash prizes

Flights and accommodation to the Gold Coast

Tickets to attend Somerset Storyfest (15 to 17 March 2022) Exclusive access to meet with Australia’s elite authors and publicists

novella writing competition State winners will have the opportunity to attend Somerset Storyfest (15 to 17 March 2022) and be billeted with members of the Somerset Wordsmiths’ Club. The National winner will be officially announced during Somerset Storyfest. This decision will be at the discretion of the competition organisers. The competition is open to ALL current secondary students attending school in Australia.

Competitions

Entrants must be under 19 years of age as at date of close of entries Friday 3 December 2021.

poetry prize writing competition Category winners will have the opportunity to attend the Somerset Storyfest (15 to 17 March 2022) and be billeted with members of the Somerset Wordsmiths’ Club. The winners will be officially announced during Somerset Storyfest.

The competition is open to ALL current secondary students who are Australian citizens or permanent reisidents attending school in Australia. Students receiving home schooling are eligible to enter.

Entrants must be under 19 years of age as at date of close of entries on Friday 3 December 2021.

Terms and conditions apply, refer to entry form. All entry forms available on the storyfest website

CONNECT WITH US FACEBOOK facebook.com/ somersetstoryfest

INSTAGRAM instagram.com/ somersetstoryfest

TWITTER twitter.com/ somstoryfest

www.storyfest.com.au

School Feature

Education reimagined Founded in the district of Roermond in the Netherlands in 2014, Agora is redefining the idea of education! Started collectively by four Principals

AGORA SCHOOL It all started with a list of ten bullet points identifying what the founding Principals didn’t want to see in schools. Students were then consulted on what

who were reimagining

the school should contain, look like, and do. The founders of Agora started

education, this innovative

with thirty students from a more ‘traditional school’ and an intention to see

school provides students the freedom to explore their own interests and passions.

what education could be like if designed differently. The school board gave the founding staff members complete freedom to create a different school. Today with 285 students, Agora has a long waiting list of national and international students wanting to join.

Designed for youth aged 12 to 18 years, Agora delivers

At Agora, there is the belief that a school must be a blend between:

personalised coaching to guide students on their learning journey. At Agora, they are focused on learning, not teaching... The entire

• Harvard University, where all the knowledge of the world is within reach • A Buddist monastery, where kids feel comfortable and can discover what is valuable in their lives • A laboratory, where students can make and try everything they can imagine because ‘if you can imagine it, you can make it.’

approach is centred around

• A marketplace, where young people can see new things, meet, and inspire

projects or ‘challenges’, giving

each other, debate, and interact.

the children the opportunity

• And lastly, it should be like Disneyland. A place where they feel happy,

to learn through experience

amazed and above all, welcomed, supported, and challenged by staff.

and play.

Page 8

According to Rob Agora’s central belief is that, “We

and tests for challenges; teachers become coaches

never put labels on kids, like ‘autistic, dyslexic.’ The

who challenge and guide the student’s exploration

reality is that everyone is a little bit different, with

process. There are no schedules, no year groups and

different needs at different levels in different areas. What

no classrooms. There are no levels and no grades.

we try to do at Agora, is to avoid labels and embrace

Each young person is given control over their own

differences. We treat everyone unequally because they

educational journey.

deserve it.”

The SSN had the opportunity to talk to Rob Houben, Teamleader of the Agora part of the School in the Netherlands.

In Agora, each coaching group (class) consist of around

School Feature

The school has traded courses, timetables, classes,

17 students of different ages and levels. Through collaboration coaches make sure the students achieve tangible results, genuine development, and work with

With more than 20 years in education, Rob was one of

each of them on ways to continue developing their

Agora’s first teachers. Inspired by a love of learning

learning journey. Coaches have a ‘guidance’ approach,

and motivated by his own negative experience as

which allows the students to have the freedom, space,

a young student, Rob was once labelled a special

and resources to explore their own interests.

education student, regardless of his high IQ. At a very young age, he was told by a school that he would not be

“In a normal school experience, you would have around

able to achieve his dreams. He persisted and went on to

four mathematics lessons a week, but at Agora, that

become a mathematician and a teacher determined to

isn’t the case. The Dutch Government only asks you to

change the experiences of other young people.

bring students to a certain level within a certain time, there are no rules about the amount of math lessons,”

“Forget about what you know about teaching. Start with what you really know about learning” The Agora Style Rob explains, “we start by asking our kids the same question, what do you want to learn? What are your talents, interest, and ambitions? What do you want to make or do? We give children the opportunity to play, because when children are playing, they are interested in what they are playing with. In this way you don’t have to teach, and you don’t have to police them either.”

says Rob. This way the students can learn mathematics while exploring a geography problem or while simply building a table, which sparks their curiosity to investigate more about a subject.

So, what is a typical day for an Agora student?

“The daily structure is simple,” says Rob. “Coaches start at 8am, while we make sure all kids are in by 10:30am.

Most come in at 9:00am. At 11am we have a daymoment where students work together and discuss what is happening in the world, how can they help each other with their challenges, and discuss other topical subjects.

Before and after daymoment everybody has their own

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School Feature

agenda. Following the lunch break, we have half an hour

The school also has collaborative rooms for meetings,

of silence, so everybody can do their obligatory reading.

which students can book. In addition, there are

Most of their days end at 3pm, or later if kids have

silence rooms for study, spaces to cook, do carpentry,

appointments later on the day. Most of the kids don’t

painting, metalworking, robot programming, and more.

come in at 9am but for instance at 10am.”

Volunteers offer inspirational sessions for students, and as they get older, students can choose flexible start and

Challenges are a central component of the Agora day.

end times, signing in and out to better suit their self-

Based on the students’ personal questions, challenges

initiated calendar and learning plan. e

are problems they want to solve and things they want to make or know. Rob says, “they work closely with their coaches to decide what the result will be and answer questions like, what are you going to learn during this challenge? Who are you going to collaborate with to achieve a great result? How long will your challenge take? Once ready to begin, the students present a plan explaining the various stages of their challenge and the help they will need to complete it.” Students are responsible for tracking their own progress, and face difficulties and problems and learn how to overcome them.

sOne interesting and for some controversial aspect of Agora is the internet and mobile use is unrestricted.

Rob explains, “all of our children have Chromebooks for free, so they have access to the internet all day. We allow them to use their phones, all day, and they learn how not to use their phones in certain moments.”

The final step is to present the end-product of the challenge. Here, students are encouraged to be creative, they can make a video, a sculpture or painting to show off what has been learned. Parents, other students, and coaches are all invited to witness this final presentation.

Instead of grades, coaches and students reflect on their learning, skill development and improvements for future challenges.

Agora’s workspace offers each student a desk, which

“We are trying to prepare kids for their future, not our future. We believe schools should use all the benefits of the electronic devices as this gives them access to technology and information on the web.”

they are encouraged to customise. Instead of changing classrooms every 50 minutes, students have a personal learning space. “One desk has the front of a car attached

The school uses WhatsApp to message students and

to it,” says Rob, “it was great to see the students build it

parents are encouraged to get involved too. All parents

with the help of a local scrapyard. They had to calculate

advertise their skills so students can access help. For

the size and volume of the desk for it to fit into our lift!”

example, a student engaged in a woodwork challenge Page 10

School Feature

can contact a parent experienced in carpentry. It is all

everybody thinks they know what to do, how to play it

about collaboration!

and how it should be played. The same can be inferred about education. If we change the main rules of soccer

The school also encourages sustainability in their

as a sport, some people wouldn’t accept it. They would

campus, motivating the kids to explore the world

probably say it could not be soccer anymore. In the case

around them. “Everything starts with motivation. If you

of education, it is the same. Most parents have been

want to do anything that is sustainable, you first need

through the same education model, they are familiar

motivation. And to do that you have to be personally

with it, they are used to it, that is what they know. So, it

engaged with something, what we are trying to do is to

is logical to think that when presented with a different

connect the kids first with themselves then with their

education model, there will be people who won’t

surroundings and then with the world. And in that way, it

support change.”

surely works at something that increases sustainability.

Sustainability is a great motivation for kids.”

“For me it looks like you have two sides in education.

One side are the people who are very result-driven; on

The success of Agora is visible even in the way they

the other side you have the student-driven/led people,

track each student’s progress. How do they measure

the problem that I see in education – not only in the

it without tests? They have their own system. Rob

Netherlands, but in the world – is that people are forming

explains: “Egodact is a piece of software designed by

different camps. The best way would be combining,

three 14-year-old Agora students, Rafael, Baruch and

collaborating, and helping each other.” He continues, “in

Ruben, to track not only a student’s challenges but

our case when people see what we are doing at Agora,

also their progress. They have now set up a company

when they realise that multiple projects are student-led,

to market and sell the software to other changemaker

they think we belong to the ‘student-driven’ school type

schools. At 16 they had a business plan, designed a

group. But we are not. We don’t want to belong to any

product road map, and opened a bank account.”

group. Yes, our philosophy gives more freedom to the students, but that doesn’t mean that our students can

It has been challenging to get to where Agora is today.

decide everything. We allow them to have a say, to make

Rob admits that the early days were stressful; working

some decisions but we guide them through the process.

on different teaching and learning methods, and

What we try to do is to reflect with them, we allow them

finding a good balance wasn’t easy. But the whole

to learn, to succeed and fail, and reflect on their journey.”

school, students, parents, coaches, and the community around them came together to make the Agora dream a reality. There was some criticism of course, but

The Agora community are convinced that we

Rob understands that. The world around schools is

can all contribute to a change in education and that

changing rapidly. And innovative schools like Agora

collaboration is key. For Agora, the possibilities are

can be seen as too unconventional. He explains: “take

endless. The SSN would like to express our sincere

soccer, for example. Everybody knows what soccer is and

gratitude to Agora (especially Rob) for sharing their story.

Page 11

Your school can help save millions of cups from landfill.

Over 1 billion takeaway cups end up in landfill each year because they’re lined with plastic and need to be processed separately to be recycled. We want to put a stop to that.

Through the 7-Eleven #CupRescue Schools Program you can divert cups from landfill at your school by partnering up with your local 7-Eleven. Sign up at 7eleven.com.au/cuprescue and we will donate a suite of cup collection units for free.

Page 12

Teacher Feature

Sue Martin

“I was determined to be ‘a different kind of scientist’...” the trees she would discover by the creek.

The daughter of an agronomist, Sue was inspired by her mother’s strength and determination. “As a young kid I loved science. I believed that girls could do anything, and even when I didn’t grow up in the country – where you usually develop an interest in the land - the desire of being an agronomist, to live around trees and nature was always there.”

Sue trained as an agricultural scientist graduating as an agronomist in 1987. However, traditional agriculture was not for her.

Sue explains, “my first role was as a senior school agriculture classroom teacher in Western Sydney, with a Dip Ed from UNE to follow. It was in 1999 at the NSW Sue Martin is an experienced environmental educator and agricultural scientist helping schools and governments across NSW in their journey to sustainability. She is held in high esteem by her peers and other educators, as both an inspirational, knowledgable and skilled sustainability champion!!

Living and working on Darug land, Sue is connected to environmental educators across AuSSA, SSNSW, AAEENSW, Catholic Earthcare, Ecojesuit, Climate Reality, Observatory Hill EEC,

Environmental Education (EE) conference at Lake Macquarie, that Col Mundy got us participating in the Story of a River and I was hooked. I had found my tribe!!”

Participating in every NSW and national EE conference since, Sue is now one of the sectors best known advocates and practitioners. Over the years her practice of Education for Sustainability developed too providing the experience necessary to contribute to sustainability policy with local governments and schools across NSW.

CHEN and many other amazing educator groups.

(We know that’s a lot of acronyms, feel free to investigate what they all mean.)

The oldest of five children, Sue grew up in Devilins Creek, Lane Cove River – part of the Parramatta River Catchment in the Northern Suburbs region of Sydney. From a young age, she developed a strong connection to nature, exploring her surroundings and using the creek as her playground. Her earliest memories are of the eels, tadpoles, and

“I have a deep sense of justice, justice for earth and my practice of helping others connect with earth through education and engagement gives me a sense of purpose.”

Page 13

Teacher Feature

In 2009, Sue was engaged by the Jesuits at St Ignatius’

TIP 2

College Riverview to assist with their sustainability journey.

It is the small steps that will get us there (thank you Stuart Hill), just do one thing per term and work on

“The time at Riverview has given me so much richness

doing it well. Share your strategy.

on what the journey for schools towards sustainability could look like. I am passionate about helping all schools

TIP 3

become sustainable and supporting the passionate educators within those schools. It will take leadership at

Don’t feel like you have to pick up every piece of litter

all levels for our dreams to come true but while we keep

in the playground - even though you may want to - this

chipping away to get justice for earth, I would like to

tip is to manage burn out. If you have a passion, make

share some tips I have reflected upon for environmental

this the focus of your school’s sustainability journey.

educators within schools.”

TIP 4 Make it simple. You most probably have a full load, and this is your passion. One bugbear I have is how complex worm farms have become. As an agriculture teacher, I know the science is that worms break down citrus and bread and onions more slowly not that they don’t break them down, they eat anything organic. My advice as an agricultural scientist is make it simple. Add everything into your worm farm that you want to.

TIP 5 Building a sustainability culture within the school takes many avenues and many hands. Use what already exists. It may be a vibrant house system or an SRC or Sport afternoons, lobby to have Sustainability within what already exists.

TIP 6 Lack of funds should not stop you from dreaming big.

It is about having a go. My teaching budget for senior agriculture when I started was $50/year, you get very

Sue’s 11 tips for SSN School Sustainability Warriors

creative when on a low budget and a shoestring budget is the norm for us. A tree planting school trip we did for three years 2014-16 saw us accommodated in shearing

TIP 1

quarters, very simple food, using the school mini-bus and only being away from school one day, - a great

Behaviour change is hard, and sometimes laggards

Year 10 geography leadership program. Yes, the risk

will not change. But don’t stress, know the majority

plan was big, but we used the North Sydney Boorowa

are supportive of your work. To form good habits, we

program as a template.

need help. Sometimes it needs to be done three times before it becomes a habit. Staffroom behaviours are the hardest to shift.

Page 14

TIP 11

Use your school as a classroom, we have all we need

Develop a sense of wonder and awe for nature.

to connect with earth in our school grounds, no matter

Just walking in nature is a good thing, many have

how built up they are. I love creating Environment

lost the skill, so just encouraging a staff or student

Walks around our schools and getting students to think

session outdoors is good. Landcare is a special

about each station. You can see our walk here: www.

organisation to connect with, I have created the

riverview.nsw.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/

10 Tips to be a Landcare school, see here: https://

Riverview-Walk.pdf

greatersydneylandcare.org/resources-2/resources-for-

Teacher Feature

TIP 7

schools/10-ways-schools-can-become-landcare-schools/ TIP 8 In the future, Sue sees herself supporting more schools Leadership is key. Sometimes when it is missing in our

in their journey to sustainability.

school executives we must step up. Commitment for our sustainability journey from leadership is important but not a total barrier.

TIP 9 Network, network, network – connecting with your tribe is important. SSN has so much to offer, EZEC / council run networks, conferences; AAEE has a national conference in September and the NSW EE conference in November. See more here: www.nsweeconference.org. au/ TIP 10 Celebrate! Share your wins widely, take some time

“I am convinced we can do it. If you find like-minded people around us, we can develop projects and bring down any barriers.

You need patience and support. But we can achieve it together.”

each year to stop and reflect on your sustainability goals, maybe create a State of Environment report for your school to share. Failure is OK, one year my walk

The SSN admire Sue’s humble nature and generosity of

to school activity had zero participation, so I stopped

spirit. We thank Sue for sharing her wisdom in such

reviewed and the following year used green frogs as

a practical way for our Journal and for all she does to

an incentive.

keep us all connected around Australia.

Page 15

one tree

per child

TO SAVE OUR PLANET

Get your school involved #buyatree ecoforceglobal.com/schools

Create a wave of change at your school with Picnics Unwrapped.

Calling all students, teachers and families to help

Book Review

Book Review

By Carmelo Fedele On Time and Water

by Andri Snaer Magnason

is a beautiful, yet chilling epitaph to glaciers from Kringilsárrani to the Himalayas.

Magnason claims that we have failed to grasp the weight of terms such as ‘increasing emissions’, ‘record heat’ and ‘ocean acidification’. If we did, they would immediately change our actions and choices. He attempts to connect us to the realities of climate change by, “going past it, to the side, below it, into the past and the future, to be personal and also scientific and to use mythological language”.

This book was given to me by a Geography student

The book has an unconventional style. Just when you

upon her graduation. She likely saw the epigraph by

think you know where it’s taking you, it leads you

Baba Dioum before deciding it was the perfect gift. It

down an icy side road; from a family history of intrepid

reads “In the end, we will conserve only what we love,

explorers, to incidents of sublime natural landscapes

we will love only what we understand, and we will

lost to industry, then the limitations of climate science,

understand only what we are taught.”

followed by the fascinating story of Jorgen Jorgensen, the King of the Dog Days, to a comparison of Nordic

I owe scientific writers like Tim Flannery and

mythology and Hindu lore, then an encounter with the

journalists like Michael Slezak much of what I

Dalai Lama. It would be a fragmented and disorienting

understand about climate change, however, it is literary

read if it weren’t for Magnuson’s masterful storytelling

authors like Andri Magnuson that connect our head

and poetic sensibilities.

to our heart, and hopefully, compel us to act. Perhaps because the book is written by an Icelandic author,

The book ends with a question that it raises in its

almost exclusively set in Iceland, it has an almost other-

opening chapters; “when is someone you love still going

worldly sense about it (Sigur Rós would be the perfect

to be alive?” I calculated that my 2-year-old daughter

soundtrack). It weaves themes of family, myth, nature

could live well into the 2100s and if she has great

and history, often circling back to earlier themes to

grandchildren, she would know someone that she loves

reveal a different perspective or to reinforce a

that could live into the 2200s. Magnuson compels us to

central idea.

connect to time with the intimacy of those that we love most and to act with the urgency that we might, if their

In Australia, our canary in the coal mine are our coral

future depended on it, because it does. “Everything you

reefs. In Iceland it’s their glaciers. On Time and Water

do matters. You create the future every single day.”

Page 17

Organisation Feature

Australians throw out 2.7 million single-use or disposable coffee cups every single day.

Coffee cups are one of the most significant contributors to litter waste in Australia, with an estimated one billion ending up in landfill each year.

m a r g o r P e u c s e R p u C s ’ n e v e l E 7

In 2018, 7-Eleven partnered with Simply Cups – a Closed

7-Eleven have made it so easy for schools to get

Loop initiative to divert used paper coffee cups from

involved. Once a school signs up at 7eleven.com.au/

landfill. Through its Simply Cups initiative, 7-Eleven are

cuprescue, provided they have a local 7-Eleven, they

tackling Australia’s overwhelming waste problem to

will be sent up to three free cup recycling units. Once

save 100 million cups from landfill — equivalent to the

cups have been collected, the school just needs to drop

number of coffee and Slurpee cups that 7-Eleven sells

them off at their local 7-Eleven store, where 7-Eleven

each year.

and their recycling partners at Closed Loop’s Simply Cups will do the rest. This is an essential part of the

Today, of the 720 7-Eleven stores around Australia, over

Program, leveraging existing processes and waste

660 stores have cup recycling units.

distribution while enabling schools to be a part of that.

It is sort of a community partnership.

7-Eleven launched the school’s component of the Cup Rescue Program in November of 2020, with the aim to

Since 2018 when 7-Eleven started putting over 660

get 100 schools onboard by June 2021. The response has

recycling units in their stores, they have helped save

been overwhelmingly successful and really embraced

almost 20 million cups from going to landfill with

by the community. Now 7-Eleven is determined to get as

Simply Cups. If these cups were laid end-to-end, they

many schools as they can to join the Program.

would stretch from Melbourne to Brisbane and would be on their way to Sydney!

“We want to keep helping facilitate the collection of cups and reduce our waste in the environment, and we would

Julie Laycock, 7-Eleven’s General Manager - Customer,

love to have as many kids as possible participating in our

said, “We are really excited to be enabling students and

Program. It is a great collaborative effort.”

schools to do something practical for the environment.”

“We are one of the leading coffee retailers in Australia, and we have to take responsibility for the waste we create and acknowledge we need to be part of the solution. We believe engaging young Australians - who are passionate drivers of change - will enable us to achieve our goal of diverting as many cups as possible from landfill,” she said.

Unfortunately, many people aren’t aware that you can recycle coffee cups like you would other recyclables.

Closed Loop’s Simply Cups upcycle coffee and Slurpee cups into new products such as garden beds, fence posts, wheel stops, street furniture, and roads.

Ms Laycock said, “The Cup Rescue Schools Program is Page 18

invested in the Cup Rescue Schools Program. They often receive letters from school children around the country who feel worried about their future and plastic’s impact on their environment. 7-Eleven has written letters back to some of these kids, and they genuinely love the fact that they are taking the initiative to protect their environment and stepping up for what they believe in.

such an important initiative. Young people are the future,

It is also interesting and exciting to see the range of

and they understand the need for this kind of initiative,

people who have contacted the Company to participate

so we must make it easy for students to get involved. Our

in the Program. Lara adds, “we have not only students,

mission is to educate the next generation as they will be

but we also have parents, teachers, sustainability leads,

leading it.”

janitors reaching out to us. The fact that entire school communities want to be a part of the change is truly

7-Eleven receive letters from young people often. One

inspiring.” Anyone can apply and put their school up for

special letter came in September 2019, when then

nomination. “We want to empower young Australians

11-year-old Georgia Holt from Perth wrote to 7-Eleven’s

to make a change and not to be afraid of doing it,” says

Chairman Michael Smith calling the Company to take

Lara.

action on sustainability and plastic pollution. Georgia had been cleaning a creek near her house where she

Initiatives like 7-Eleven’s partnership with Simply Cups

would often find a significant amount of litter and

and their Cup Rescue Program, the Free Coffee with a

rubbish such as cups, straws, and lids. Mr Smith not

Reusable Cup Campaign, as well as reusable products –

only replied to Georgia, but he also visited her and her

the Slurpee drink bottles and Cups, are just some of the

family. The Company then coordinated the installation

ways the Company is beginning to make changes to be a

of a cup recycling point for her local 7-Eleven store.

better corporate and global citizen.

The Program started in 7-Eleven stores because they acknowledged their responsibility as a company to the

Get involved today by signing your school up to the

community. “We are one of the biggest coffee retailers in

7-Eleven Cup Rescue Program!

Australia, so we knew that we needed to be a part of the solution. That is where the 7-Eleven Cup Rescue Program came true with the help of our partners, Simply Cups,” says Lara Stephens, 7-Eleven Brand Specialist. Then, knowing the kids were sending letters, 7-Eleven decided to expand the Program into the communities, starting with schools.

“Our Sustainability Enterprise-Wide Strategy is currently in the works, and we are excited to be partnering with Prosperous Planet to have a unique and powerful sustainability approach.” - 7-Eleven

Organisation Feature

7-Eleven’s Chairman, Board and CEO are incredibly

School Communty Feature

a l e b a s I i t t n a r F Keski-

for education started at a young age when she learned to respect and appreciate her local environment through observation. Always wanting to learn, improve, educate, and collaborate, Isabela is genuinely an inspiration.

For Isabela, sustainability means that we use the natural resources and ecosystem services in a way that won’t compromise their integrity for the Earth’s future

If ever there was a community champion it’s Isabela

and that future generations can benefit from them.

Keski-Frantti. With a heart of gold, a smile that offers

She explains, “I think that the American quote ‘We do

hope, and a voice that calms, it is an honour to feature

not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow

Isabela as our Issue 18 Community Champion.

it from our children,’ explains it perfectly. Also, to live sustainably, we need to consider the triple bottom line

Originally from Brazil, Isabela has a Degree in

model, Environment, Community and Economy. Only

Psychology and soon will be finalising a Degree

when our lifestyles, and the way we operate businesses

in Marine Science with a specialisation in Marine

and other industries, address these three aspects

Education. At the same time, she is a CASA registered

successfully we can say that we are living sustainably. It

drone pilot and is currently undertaking training to

is important to understand that economy should not go

become a youth drone trainer. As Sathya Sai College’s

against ecology; when we have good, sustainable models,

Sustainability Coordinator and Chaplain, Isabela

they are intricately connected, and everyone wins –

helps provide students with opportunities to connect

nature, businesses and community.”

and foster a sense of self-worth as they contribute in positive ways to the world. Within her community

Isabela’s inspiration came from her parents, growing

– Isabela is one of the founding directors of Dolphin

up on the coast of Aracaju around mangroves, dunes,

Research Australia, and she finds time to volunteer with

and estuaries. Her father, a farmer, has always been

Fingal Head Coastcare. Her love for nature and passion

a passionate advocate for wildlife; he taught his Page 20

wants to make sure that the habits and resources they

extensive nature reserves on his land and speaking

acquire resonate with sustainable practices, from

about his desire to protect the native fauna and

reducing landfill and recycling to planting trees.

flora. That has inspired Isabela and her brothers to implement agroforest systems on their own farms.

Isabela’s younger brother is currently studying syntropic farming – or dynamic agroforestry with Ernst Gotsch, the Swiss farmer and researcher creator of this technique. In addition, Isabela’s mother, a social worker, would often take Isabela with her to the fieldwork in the local coastal communities; here, she would spend time with traditional fisherwomen who relied on the mangrove forest to harvest seafood. Still in Brazil, Isabela co-founded the group Friends of Nature.

“Children appreciate that we point out in the directions that lead to a positive future, they see it and value it, and they take that message with them and share it.”.

School Communty Feature

children to appreciate wildlife by taking them to the

She would take groups hiking in beautiful, pristine National Parks. With a background like this is easy to see how Isabela found her call to be a sustainability

“At SSC, there are the Human Values, which are the

educator.

fundamental principles upon which our school operates.

The model invites us to self-reflect constantly about our

Isabela’s psychology background has allowed her

actions and how we can become better human beings

to understand further the need to educate for

through understanding and developing compassion for

sustainability.

all.” According to Isabela, this model has enabled the

“

smooth incorporation of sustainability practices, “the Human Values permeate through all of the aspects of the

“I wanted to merge psychology with environmental education. I believe that we are not only one isolated atom, but we are a part of a greater living organism, our sense of identity needs to extend out of just one body, our body, to have a closer relationship with nature. By embracing this perspective, we become aware of the interconnectedness and increase our awareness of Self.”

school, they are integrated into the curriculum and in professional and personal development as staff, students and parents. They are part of our daily practices such as silent sitting and the numerous selfless services that we do in our wider community,” she adds.

As Isabela focused more on studying the natural environment, she realised that having a background in psychology was an advantage. “In psychology you learn about the importance of self-awareness. If we are not interested in working on ourselves and our well-being, how can we then care about what is around us?”

As Sathya Sai’s College Sustainability Coordinator, Isabela feels lucky to have the support she needs to prepare students for a more sustainable future. She Page 21

considers herself lucky. She has the support and team she needs; therefore, collaboration is a big part of her success. She says, “schools always have busy schedules and to be able to implement new practices comes with its challenges. However, when you work as a team and everyone does their part, the process is easier and more enjoyable. Apart from great staff, we have students with ‘Sustainability Monitors’ roles mentored by our year 5 science teacher. We have several teachers dedicating time to sustainability practices; together, we are the Eco Team. We often have great initiatives being presented to us by our school staff, students, and parents. We truly have a fantastic, supportive and participative community.”

Another challenge has been finding financial support for sustainable practices. Although there are some great but expensive eco-friendly resources available, it is sometimes necessary to pay extra for the services needed.

“In our school, we pay a monthly fee to have our

School Communty Feature

As for the challenges she has encountered, Isabela

cardboard boxes collected, so they are directly upcycled,” says Isabela. “We have been lucky to successfully apply for grants such as the Eco-Schools and the Junior Landcare and Woolworth’s grants, which have helped us enormously.”

Isabela is excited about the future. She is working towards multiple sustainability initiatives within her school and is looking forward to contributing to sustainability education through school and science projects. As an innate collaborator, she is inspired by

“In our school and beyond, we have a great community. Their contribution is essential for our success. I believe that community drive is the key to our success.”

her colleagues and students. “If we work as individuals, we can be role models for others. But as a community, we can achieve so much more by collaborating with others.

When students can do more for their community, it gives them a sense of belonging and identity, which is so important for the future of our children.”

Thank you, Isabela and the Eco Team at Sathya Sai College, for your incredible efforts. We can’t wait to hear about your future projects and initiatives!

Page 23

Hints & Tips

s d r a w A d Grants an HINTS AND TIPS WITH ED BURTON

NORTHERN RIVERS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION GRANTS Closing soon - 6 September. Up to $10,000 for environmental local projects. Apply Now <

The Sustainable Schools Network would like to thank Ed Burton, Gold Coast teacher for creating this feature of our Journal.

This short video of hints and tips aims to inspire you to get started, keep going or to take your programs to the next level.

Ed has been working at this for a while but doesn’t claim to be an expert. He’d love to hear your ideas as much as we hope you benefit from his ideas.

Sustainability education is always a work in practice. It’s flexible, responsive and intuitive - as long as you are paying attention to the planet and people around you.

We are grateful to Ed for taking this on in amongst his busy days as a Year 6 teacher. One step at a time we can all take action to future proof our communities.

LANDCARE CHAMPION AWARDS

Junior Awards available - Closing dates based on state of application from 11 July (VIC) to 26 November (NT). Apply Now <

EDUTECH COMPETITION

Win $3500 in Urban+ vouchers or a water fountain.

Share your circular economy dream. Enter here <

KEEP AUSTRALIA BEAUTIFUL AWARDS QLD

Schools are invited to showcase their sustainability achievements before 1 October 2021. Apply Now <

National Excellence in teaching awards

Shining a light on unsung heroes. Up to $10,000 available for professional development. Closes 30 July 2021. Apply Now <

STRENGTHENING RURAL COMMUNITIES

Designed for small rural, regional and remote communities across Australia. Up to $25,000 available.

Apply Now <

MURRAY - DARLING HEALTH RIVERS GRANTS PROGEAM

Small and large grants available to restore the ecological health of the Murray-Darling Basin. Closes 6 October. More info here <

Hints & Tips

WORLD TEACHERS DAY In our schools, where would we be without our Teachers? The SSN recognises and celebrates the Teacher’s who inspire, support, motivate, educate, mentor, advise, coach and care for Australian students.

Since 1994, World Teachers Day has been held on 5 October to mindfully show gratitude towards Teachers for their fundamental commitment to educating young people.

More than 100 nations celebrate World Teachers Day. In Australia World Teachers Day is celebrated on different days. For example, check out the events in SA, QLD, NSW, and NT. Whichever day you celebrate World Teachers Day, the most important thing is to show your appreciation for the Teachers in your life. A smile, a note, or simply the words ‘thank you’, they all go a long way (especially in the days of online learning).

Su rve y

We’d love to hear your thoughts. Please take our >survey< to share your ideas about Education for Sustainability

Sustainability 101 ECONOMIC GROWTH The economic model of choice for countries like Australia is one of ‘economic growth’. Our financial reports revolve around growth as the indicator of how well (or otherwise) our society is performing. But as we head into ‘Buy Nothing New’ month (October), it begs the question of what would happen if we stopped buying so much stuff??

Many communities and countries around the world use different financial models, and indeed different measures of the success of a society. We encourage you to take some time to investigate these.... As sustainability is understood to be the interactivity of environmental, social and economic systems, it’s important particularly with the challenges businesses are facing to pause and question where we are heading.

Fundamental to economic growth is an increasing population and increasing consumption (and production). By it’s very nature, our economic system is at odds with sustainability. As our education system perpetuates our economic model, it’s important to question what our alternatives our... Share your thoughts: info@ssn.org.au Page 25

Page 26

COMMUNITY FORUMS

Are you ready to make change for your school?

The Containers for Change scheme is helping Queensland community groups and schools raise funds through 10-cent refunds from eligible drink containers.

Want to know how to get involved?

Join us for morning tea and connect with your local Container Refund Point at one of our free Community Forums.

Grab a copy of our free Fundraising Guide and access a range of tools to help boost your fundraising, and help clean up your community at the same time.

Secure your free spot at these forum locations: Community

Date

Venue

Brisbane East

Friday 17 September - 10am

Coorparoo RSL

Brisbane West

Tuesday 21 September - 10am

Sherwood AFL Club

Redlands

Wednesday 29 September - 10am

Redland Bay Golf Club

Sunshine Coast South

Wednesday 6 October - 10am

Maroochy Surf Club

Gold Coast North

Friday 8 October - 10am

Nerang RSL

Ipswich

Friday 15 October - 10am

North Ipswich Reserve Corporate Centre

Gold Coast South

Tuesday 19 October - 10am

Currumbin RSL

Logan City

Wednesday 20 October - 10am

Diggers Services Club

Brisbane North

Friday 22 October - 10am

Kedron-Wavell RSL

Moreton Bay

Monday 25 October - 10am

Caboolture Sports Club

Sunshine Coast North

Thursday 4 November - 10am

Tewantin RSL

Book your seat now at www.cfcqld.com/CommunityForums

Page 27

Youth Feature

Niall d r a n n e K

Niall is an Environmental Management student at the University of Queensland, focusing on creating a balanced and sustainable world. The SSN were fortunate to here about Niall’s story at the Gold Coast Botanical Bazaar, moments before it was

beyond our means and in excess; we as people have this

cancelled, which was the highlight of our day.

inherent need to live beyond our needs, and the world around us simply cannot support this habit.”

This acknowledgement of waste later developed into a

In 2011, Niall invented the NoSpillTM, a product that helps users transport hazardous chemicals in the back of their car, reducing the risk of the containers falling and breaking; protecting the owner’s car and excess contaminants being released into the environment. By 2017, his design NoSpillTM had been voted in the Top 10 of new companies Young Entrepreneurs in Queensland.

FROM CURIOSITY

business. NoSpillTM is a multipurpose support system for everyday hazardous chemicals for transportation from the store to home. Made from recycled plastic, the NoSpillTM widen the base of chlorine containers, gas bottles, paint tins, etc. To prevent them from falling in the back of cars, wasting the product, damaging vehicles and subsequent leaching into the environment.

“To me, sustainability is all about balance and how we can best mitigate the degradative actions that we take.

This might mean not necessarily eliminating a practice

Niall’s interest in sustainability derived from his

that is causing harm to the environment but utilising a

concern and curiosity around environmental protection

structured approach to reduce the pollutants into the

and waste management. From an early age, he

environment.”

understood the importance of waste prevention, reuse, and recycling. “When I was younger, it blew my mind

The idea for the NoSpillTM was conceived when Niall

that we would spend our hard-earned money buying food

was on holiday with his grandparents. One day, his

from a store, and a few hours later, the food we didn’t

grandfather went to exchange a bottle of LPG and

buy would be thrown out like it didn’t hold the same

explained that he had made a wooden support to

value that we paid for it. That made me think about living

stop the bottle from falling over at the back of his car.

Page 28

Youth Feature

“I recognised that convenience will always be prioritised in society. However, I believe we can

make our actions more environmentally conscious by reducing waste and excess runoff by only using what is needed.”

Niall Kennard

Niall was curious about the design and after watching

realistic. For example, take the use of private pools in

it work, he felt it could also hold other containers

Australia, with around a million private pools in the

like pool chlorine, oil, fuel, and even paint tins. After

country, there is constant use of extremely hazardous

months of reimagining the design, he came up with the

chemicals by the homeowner. The pursuit of luxury

NoSpillTM, a product that could support containers in the

and convenience outweighs hypothetical scenarios of

back of the car while trapping any fluids leaking from

environmental impact. So rather than trying to eliminate

the container while travelling.

the industry, regulations and mitigations need to be encouraged.”

NOW AN ENTERPRENEUR After a few weeks of late-night sketching and long talks with his father over the design, he engaged a graphic artist to draw the final plans and then make a prototype. Before hitting the market, he applied for a patent to protect his design. He then set off to potential retailers and was pleasantly surprised with the highly positive feedback.

Following the success of his market research, the design and intellectual property was further developed with the view to licensing the technology. In 2016 Niall joined forces with his sister Lauren to help with the marketing and project management of the NoSpillTM. One of the challenges Niall encountered intially was finding a middle-ground in terms of sustainability when assessing environmental impacts. He explains, “ideally it would be fantastic to eliminate anything that is environmentally degrative; however, it simply isn’t

In the future, Niall hopes to grow his business and allow for NoSpillTM to be rolled out throughout the country and for the brand to develop more products to prevent environmental degradation. “Growing the business will help raise awareness of everyday urban degradation, and as a business, we will be able to help prevent these issues that we are faced with.” Niall is planning to participate in conservation projects to help rejuvenate and protect species around the world. “In addition to this, I hope to work in the mining industry while it is still in Australia and do my part in rejuvenating the environment which has been utilised and make it more prosperous than before the development began. In the future, I hope to develop the product further and branch off into new products which help minimise waste in society and prevent further preventable environmental impacts.”

Page 29

Professional Development Column

Dr Alison Sammel’s

SUStainability education musings

“

education for sustainability: conversations about our true north.

”

It seems the core business of education is currently understood as the teaching and learning of content and pedagogy (via all the latest, evidenced based models). I do believe this knowledge is essential but I also believe it needs to be taught in parallel with what for centuries was the core business of education: the exploration of a person’s self.

For me this includes exploring what we, as individuals, want and need our learning to look like; what kind of people we want to become; what virtues we value and what they look like in our everyday lives; what motivates us; and what our assumptions and desires are. These explorations need to form an evolving conversation of who we want to be when taking up the mantle of ‘citizen’ and how we can inspire our communities to reflect and articulate their own collective aspirations.

Without this continual deconstruction and reconstruction of ourselves as teachers, learners and people, schools may generate high scores and impressive standard deviations but, I believe we will not be fully supporting students to make sense of what they are, and want to be as lifelong learners. As an educator I have found that for my teaching to be successful, my own ethical compass must point

Teaching, for me, is first and foremost about building

True North.

relationships. Relationships with knowledge systems, other individuals, and most importantly, building a

For me this term relates to my evolving alignment

healthy relationship with one’s self. Nurturing any

of my thoughts and actions with my inner sense of

relationship takes dedication, trust, commitment and

what I want to accomplish in my community and my

time. But how invested are education systems really

life. It means reflecting on my purpose and how it

when it comes to helping students build healthy

corresponds with my values and beliefs. Your True

relationships with themselves? What kind of people are

North is what centers you when this crazy world

education systems actually encouraging our

becomes even crazier, and keeps you on a track that is

students to be?

straight and true for you.

Page 30

A place where ecological sustainability (respect and

my students’ and my own learning journeys, I always

connection to all aspects of this amazing planet) is a

seem to come back to the same question: “in education,

core value. A place that models what it means to show

what does True North look like for me?” In other words,

kindness, respect, guidance and empathy alongside

what is my a posteriori understanding of learning

accountability, responsibility and fairness.

and teaching? And to be honest, like any compass searching for bearings, the needle frequently wavers, but it does point to an overall direction. This direction underpins many of the traits that I think someone who is passionate about Sustainability Education would also have. This direction includes: • To communicate respectfully and effectively • To understand and show respect for self, others (human and non-human) and the world around them • To accept responsibility for words and actions, to learn from their experiences and move forward

A place where students can build their capacity to become the people they are proud of, can see themselves as people who they can treasure, and ultimately strive to understand what it means to be a lifelong friend to themselves, others and the planet.

Professional Development Column

As someone who reflects (maybe a little too much) on

with resilience • To understand what it means to live a life with a sense of integrity and honesty

Schools that inherently promote ecological

• To encourage effective advocacy for self and others

sustainability are supportive places where in addition

• To develop a positive self image based on valuing

to academic learning, identities are nurtured, explored

individuality, collegiality, empathy and compassion

and directed. They are places where experience advises

• To become critical and creative thinkers who value

beliefs, understandings and philosophies about who

understanding the world from multiple and

they want to be, what they want to be known for and

alternative perspectives

how they want their communities to function. Students

• To find balance in their lives between all the threads

learn lessons of freedom and boundaries, safety

pulling them in multiple aligned and conflicting ways.

and vulnerability, friendship and estrangement, and compassion and meanness, while also understanding

In hindsight, it interests me that I did not include one

what it means to be an individual within a community.

line about ‘striving for academic excellence’. I believe

These schools offer exciting wholeschool opportunities

academic excellence alone is no longer the direction

where infrastructures are put in place to alter

of True North for many teachers. Many teachers,

mindsets and allow people to appreciate that ecological

especially those attuned to social and ecological justice,

sustainability is more than just an approved curricular

are taking up another exciting challenge, where True

activity. It is about everyone in the school, the

North points to building courage, resilience, reflection,

community and the nation, consciously reflecting on

advocacy, empathy, compassion and integrity.

their own True North and striving to become the people they want to be, with social infrastructures reflective of

Historically, these virtues have stood the test of time.

the values they hold for their society.

Indeed, Aristotle advocated for these virtues in his own students, as he believed a person can become the most effective doctor, lawyer, socialite or educator, but without these virtues, they would never be their best self, reach their fullest potential, or be a true friend

Dr. Alison Sammel is a Smithsonian Fellow at

to themselves or others. True North for me, is about

Griffith University’s School of Education, Australia.

balancing education so our students can learn and grow as individuals in a supportive collective space.

Please email info@ssn.org.au if you have any questions or would like further support.

Page 31

n o i t a c u d E g n i n i g Reima The Sustainable Schools Network aims to educate and connect school communities to imagine a sustainable future.

For more information email: info@ssn.org.au www.ssn.org.au