Tag / Action4Agriculture

by Action4Agriculture

🌱 Cultivating Change: How Action4Agriculture Impacts Charitable Sectors 🌍

In the ever-evolving world of charitable endeavors, Action4Agriculture (A4A) stands out as a beacon of innovation and impact. With a commitment to sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship, A4A not only contributes to the agricultural sector but also extends its influence into various charitable areas of society.

Here is how we are making a difference:

🌱 Cultivating a Better Future with Action4Agriculture 🌍

At Action4Agriculture, we’re more than just about farming; we’re about creating lasting change in our communities and environment. Our initiatives bridge sustainable agriculture with environmental conservation, making a real difference in the fight against climate change. 🌳🚜

👩‍🌾 Empowering Youth: Through programs like Young Environmental Champions, we’re nurturing future leaders in sustainable development and agriculture. Our focus on education and leadership equips young minds to spearhead impactful initiatives. #YouthEmpowerment #FutureLeaders

🤝 Building Resilient Communities: Our efforts extend to strengthening rural and farming communities. By fostering local networks and providing mentorship, we’re enhancing economic and social resilience. #CommunityDevelopment #RuralResilience

🍲 Supporting Food Security: By promoting sustainable practices, we’re contributing to the availability of nutritious, locally-grown food, combating hunger and malnutrition. #FoodSecurity #SustainableFarming

🌈 Advocating Diversity: We champion diversity and inclusion in agriculture, ensuring a rich tapestry of perspectives and innovative solutions. #DiversityInAgriculture #InclusiveFarming

We’re proud of the impact we’re making, and we’re just getting started!

To learn more about Action4Agriculture and how you can support or get involved in their initiatives, visit our website here  or follow us on social media for the latest updates and stories of impact.  📖✨

#Action4Agriculture #SustainableDevelopment #EnvironmentalConservation #AgricultureAdvocacy

 

by Action4Agriculture

🌍🌱 Leading the Way in Environmental Education! 🚀

In the ever-evolving realm of environmental education, staying ahead of the curve is crucial. The latest global trends are all about immersive learning experiences, digital innovation, and cross-sector collaborations. And guess what? Action4Agriculture is at the forefront of this exciting wave! 🌊💡

📚 Trendsetter in Environmental Learning: We’re pushing boundaries by integrating cutting-edge technologies and hands-on experiences into our programs. This approach not only enhances learning but also makes it more accessible and engaging for all. #InnovativeLearning #EnviroEd

🤝 Global Recognition: Action4Agriculture is earning accolades as an innovator in international environmental education. Our commitment to marrying traditional knowledge with new-age solutions is setting us apart on the world stage. #GlobalLeader #EduInnovation

🌿 Impactful Programs: Our programs, like the Young Environmental Champions (YEC), are tailored to tackle contemporary environmental issues. We’re empowering young minds to be proactive, solution-oriented thinkers who are well-versed in the complexities of our natural world. #YouthEmpowerment #FutureLeaders

🔗 Collaborating for a Greener Future: Collaboration is key in environmental education. By partnering with a diverse range of experts and organisations, we’re ensuring that our programs are holistic, inclusive, and impactful. #CollaborationIsKey #SustainableEducation

🌟 Creating A Brighter, Greener Future Together

 At Action4Agriculture, we’re not just teaching about the environment; we’re inspiring a new generation to live in harmony with it. Join us as we continue to innovate and lead the charge in shaping a more sustainable world. 🌏✨

#Action4Agriculture #EnvironmentalEducation #SustainableFuture #InnovationInAction

by Action4Agriculture

🌟🤝 Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: Celebrating Our Collaborators! 🌱

As we reflect on the successful launch and running of our Young Environmental Champions (YEC) program, we’re overflowing with gratitude for our incredible collaborators. It’s a true testament to what we can achieve together!

🌍 Funding Partners: A huge shoutout to the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation and the NSW Government for their essential funding support. Your belief in our vision has been pivotal! #FundingPartners #Grateful

📚 Workshop Wizards: Special thanks to Josh Farr from Campus Consultancy and Changeologist Les Robinson for their engaging workshops, equipping students and teachers with the tools for success. #WorkshopFacilitators #EducationalImpact

🚜 Centre of Excellence: Kudos to the Centre of Excellence in Agricultural Education for enabling students participation from 8 Hawkesbury region local government areas. Your support was invaluable! #AgriculturalEducation #CommunityEngagement

🌾 Mentoring Magic: A big cheer for the University of Newcastle students network. Your mentorship has been a beacon of guidance and inspiration for our participants. #Mentors #YouthLeadership

🏛️ Government Support: Gratitude to the Newcastle and Maitland Councils, NSW Government’s Office for Regional Youth, Hunter Local Land Services, and RDA Sydney. Your involvement has been crucial in our journey. #GovernmentSupport #RegionalYouth

🌿 Environmental & Community Groups: Shoutout to Hunter Landcare, Greater Sydney Landcare Network for your contributions. You are the backbone of community-driven environmental action. #Landcare #CommunityAction

🌏 Environmental Champions: Hats off to our Eco-Judicatories. Our pitch judges Sue Martin of AAEE, Alexa Stuart, Dan Brown, Dominic May of CoastXP, and Tommy Viljoen of theBEATS.org. Your advocacy and leadership have been instrumental. #EnvironmentalChampions #InspiringLeadership

Together, we’ve created a ripple of positive change and empowered young environmental champions. Here’s to more collaborations, more impact, and a sustainable future! 🎉💚

#Action4Agriculture #Collaboration #EnvironmentalStewardship #MakingADifference

by Action4Agriculture

🌏✨ Redefining Education with YEC: Where Students Lead the Way! 🎓🚀

Big news from the world of education! The Young Environmental Champions (YEC) program is shaking things up by putting students in the driver’s seat! 🌟👩‍🎓👨‍🎓

🎓 Student-led learning is a vital component of a balanced curriculum. It empowers students to take charge of their educational journey, fostering independence, critical thinking, and creativity. This approach encourages learners to explore topics of interest, develop problem-solving skills, and engage more deeply with the material. By incorporating student-led activities, educators can create a dynamic learning environment that adapts to diverse learning styles and needs, ultimately contributing to a more personalized and effective educational experience. 📚

👀  The Young Environmental Champions program (YEC) is all about supporting teachers to empower students through student-led learning, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to tackle real-world issues. It’s a whole new way of learning where our future leaders aren’t just taught; they’re living the lessons and leading the charge! #StudentLedLearning #SDGsInAction

🤔💡 Our young champs are loving this freedom to explore and innovate. One student shared,

“By combining our ideas, we’ve cooked up something challenging but totally doable!”

This creativity and teamwork spirit is what YEC’s all about. #YouthInnovation #CreativeThinkers

👩‍🏫🔄 Teachers are on board too, finding this approach a fresh and inspiring change.

“Letting go of the reins isn’t easy, but it’s amazing to see the ideas and passion our students bring to the table,” said one impressed educator.

#EmpoweringEducators #FutureFocused

🌱🌍 YEC is more than just a program; it’s a movement. We’re empowering our young guns to connect global issues to local action, building their skills in communication, collaboration, and green job readiness. #GlobalToLocal #GreenJobs

🤝💚 And it’s not stopping here! Thanks to insights from our surveys and experts like Danielle Blenkhorn, we’re expanding!  We have new partners taking the reins, blending YEC with the artsy Kreative Koalas program. It’s a perfect match – mixing art with science and putting young voices front and centre! #SustainableSchoolsNSW #KreativeKoalas

🎉✨ Here’s to a future filled with confident, savvy young leaders who speak sustainability fluently and are ready to make their mark. Action4Agriculture is proud to be nurturing these game-changers! #YouthLeadership #Action4Agriculture

by Action4Agriculture

💡Ecosystem of Expertise: Action4Agriculture’s Blueprint for Empowering Youth 📐👦👧

🌱 In the realm of education and making a real impact, it’s all about rallying together for our young people. At Action4Agriculture, we’re championing the Ecosystem of Expertise (EoE) model – a strategy that puts young people right at the heart, supported by a network brimming with diverse backers. #EcosystemOfExpertise #YouthEmpowerment

The EoE Model Unpacked Imagine a world where our future leaders are at the centre, with a supportive constellation orbiting around them. That’s the EoE for you! It’s not just a model; it’s a community where every player – from mentors to industry experts – adds and draws value, fostering a thriving, mutually beneficial environment. #CommunitySupport #YouthCentric

Engagement: The Heartbeat of EoE Engagement is key, and we’re all about building bridges. Tailored strategies ensure we’re hitting the right chord with our partners, from attending local shindigs and speaking at meetups to celebrating big wins. We’re active on LinkedIn, our blog, and YouTube, showcasing our brilliant students and schools. Not to forget our Paddock Pen Pals program, linking up young farmers with students for a bit of real-world insight. 🤝🌾 #CommunityEngagement #PaddockPenPals

Mighty Networks: Our Digital Campfire The YEC program leverages Mighty Networks to knit together an online community. It’s a one-stop-shop for sharing triumphs, setbacks, and handy resources. Think of it as our digital campfire, where participants, mentors, and the Young Farming Champions (YFC) can chat, stream live, and cheer each other on. 📲💬 #MightyNetworks #DigitalCommunity

Our Commitment to the Future Building a robust EoE is our pledge to the next gen. By bringing diverse stakeholders to the table, we’re crafting a future with empowered, knowledgeable, and inspired young folks. And hey, we’re learning as we go – sharing our ups and downs, our boo-boos, and our triumphs. We’re all about passing on the baton of knowledge, not just keeping it to ourselves. 🌟📚 #FutureFocused #LearningTogether

So, there you have it – our recipe for making a difference. The EoE model isn’t just a concept; it’s Action4Agriculture in action, shaping a brighter, bolder future for our young leaders. Keen to join the journey? Hop on board, and let’s make some waves together! 🌊👩‍🌾👨‍🌾

#Action4Agriculture #EmpoweringYouth #EducationInnovation #AustralianEducation #GlobalCitizens

by Action4Agriculture

🌏💡 Cultivating Tomorrow’s Leaders: The Impact of Action4Agriculture’s Young Environmental Champions Program 🌟👫

In an era defined by global challenges, Action4Agriculture’s Young Environmental Champions (YEC) program stands as a beacon of transformative education for primary and secondary school students.

This innovative initiative empowers young minds to be effective communicators, critical thinkers, and leaders capable of tackling pressing global issues. Partnering with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the YEC program is a 10-week action learning journey that combines in-person and online workshops, leadership coaching, and mentorship, actively pairing students with community experts as role models and workshop co-hosts.

Empowering Through Education:

The YEC journey covers a diverse range of topics, including SDGs, team building, project management, design thinking, systems thinking, and community action planning. The program guides students to investigate global issues, appreciate diverse perspectives, communicate effectively, and take action on matters vital to them. With a youth-led and co-designed approach, the YEC program creates an environment where students become architects of their own learning experience.

Real-World Impact:

The success of the YEC program is evident in the array of impactful projects undertaken by students. From sustainable fishing and waste management to mental health improvement and climate action, these young environmental champions are reshaping communities. For instance, Hamilton Public School’s “People Power” project, focusing on SDGs 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing) and 13 (Climate Action), promotes people-powered modes of transport to enhance community health. Meanwhile, St Joseph’s Lochinvar won in the secondary section with a flood mitigation project aligning with SDGs 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) and 15 (Life on Land).

Measuring Impact:

A comprehensive evaluation conducted by Danielle Blenkhorn from Sustainable Schools highlights the profound positive impact of the YEC program. Read the report here 

 

Key findings include:

  1. Dynamic Leadership Development:
    • The program serves as a dynamic leadership initiative, motivating students to become agents of change.

  1. Deepened Understanding of SDGs:
    • Participants develop a deeper understanding of the SDGs, with a notable increase in knowledge levels by the program’s completion.

  1. Enhanced Skills and Wellbeing:
    • Students report increased 21st-century skills, including heightened confidence in areas promoting resilience and wellbeing.
    • Improvement in communication skills, teamwork, problem-solving, and project planning.
  2. Positive Changes in Student Actions:
    • Participating students report changing thoughts and actions on sustainability, including increased knowledge, improved skills, and empowerment to take individual and collective action.
  3. Notable Confidence Boosts:
    • Substantial increases in students’ confidence levels observed across various areas, such as seeking help from teachers, developing school project plans, and contributing to community improvement.

  1. Transformational Impact on Students:
    • Anecdotal evidence highlights the program’s transformative impact, leading to increased engagement, confidence, and personal growth.

In essence, the Youth Environmental Champions program is not merely an educational endeavor; it’s a catalyst for positive shifts in attitudes, confidence, and proactive engagement among the participating students. As these young minds graduate from the program, they carry with them the skills and mindset essential for shaping a sustainable and resilient future. Action4Agriculture is sowing the seeds of leadership, and the Youth Environmental Champions are poised to reap a harvest of positive change.

#YouthLeadership #EnvironmentalChampions #Action4Agriculture #SDGsInAction #TransformativeEducation #FutureLeaders #GlobalChangemakers #SustainableFuture #YouthEmpowerment #InnovationInEducation #ResilientCommunities #ClimateAction #CommunityEngagement #LeadershipDevelopment #YouthInAg #PositiveImpact #EducationForChange #InspiringLeadership #EmpowerTheFuture #SustainabilityJourney #YouthVoice #21stCenturySkills #CultivatingLeadership #YouthAction #ChangemakersInTraining

 

by Action4Agriculture

Celebrating 2023 World Youth Skills Day at Action4Agriculture

 

Today,  July 15 is the United Nations World Youth Skills Day – a day to celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship.

The 2023 theme is “Skilling teachers, trainers and youth for a transformative future.”

Does this sound familiar?

For over 15 years Action4Agriculture has been equipping young people with the skills to thrive in the 21st century and we have long been known for developing the four Cs of critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication. Building on our cornerstone programs of Young Farming Champions, The Archibull Prize and Kreative Koalas we were thrilled to add two new programs to the stable in 2023 in Young Environmental Champions and Action4Youth to further explore these skills.

The Young Environmental Champions invited students to research the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and choose a global problem from which to derive a local solution for their school and community.

“Over 10 weeks, these young minds dedicated themselves to creating a social impact project that will bring about positive change in their communities and contribute towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” Action4Agriculture director Lynne Strong says. “Our young people are reshaping, rewiring and reimaging the future; a future where they will be the leaders.”

Action4Youth is a purpose-driven program to support young people from all backgrounds and experiences to thrive in a career in agriculture by:

  • Increased employer engagement in work-based learning pathways.
  • Improved learning and skills development experienced by young people.
  • Increased entry-level jobs offered to young people.

“It is widely recognised that the education and training systems we have in Australia aren’t fit for purpose and Action4Agriculture we are working with a dedicated group of people to address that. We were committed to ensuring the right people were at the table as part of our Action4Youth program and we were very excited to be able to identify those people from the Illawarra and South Coast of NSW and share that information with others so they can follow in our footsteps and replicate and scale our work and value add to their outcomes,” Lynne says.

All participants in Action4Agriculture programs have access to workshops facilitated by Josh Farr from Campus Consultancy covering 21st century topics including building teams, design thinking, developing stake-holder relationships, communication and agile project management.

“The benefits of participating in an Action4Agriculture initiative is the authenticity of learning and the development of real world skills. It enables young people to engage in real world systems, to understand constraints and structures on real world problems and to engage with experts in the field.

From each stage of the program students are encouraged to extend themselves and develop their skills. This is supported by their belief in their solutions and their passion to make a difference.” Secondary School Principal

 

According to the United Nations “technological advancements and shifting labour market dynamics increasingly call for agile and adaptable skill sets. It is crucial that we empower young people to navigate these changes effectively. Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is well placed to meet these demands by reducing access barriers to the world of work, ensuring that skills gained are relevant, recognized and certified, promoting green skills and practices, and offering skills development opportunities for youth who are not in education, employment and training.

“On World Youth Skills Day, let us unite in recognizing the potential of young people as catalysts for change and commit to providing them with the skills and opportunities they need to build a prosperous and sustainable world for all. Together, we can shape a brighter future where no young person is left behind.”

This is an ethos enshrined in Action4Agriculture and we are proud to promote World Youth Skills Day and our role within the movement.

Image source 

#action4Agriculture

#careerswithpurpose

#creatingabetterworldtogether

by Action4Agriculture

🌟🏆 What matters to us: Students champion issues for a better future 👩‍🎓👨‍🎓

A pitch and awards event for the pilot of Action4Agriculture’s Young Environmental Champions program (funded by the NSW Office of Regional Youth and Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation ) gave the stage to 10 teams of young people on May 12 to showcase what matters most to them.

Held at the Newcastle Museum and facilitated by Josh Farr from Campus Consultancy, the event included primary and secondary schools from the Hunter and Hawkesbury regions.

“Over the past 10 weeks, these young minds have dedicated themselves to creating a social impact project that will bring about positive change and contribute towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, “Action4Agriculture director Lynne Strong said. “Our young people are reshaping, rewiring and reimaging the future; a future that they have designed ”

Students found a diversity of projects to focus on including flood water management, sustainable fishing, waste management and recycling, increasing pollinators, improving student mental health, technology to transition students to high school, community partnerships and climate action.

For their final presentation they were tasked with creating a three minute pitch to sell their idea to a judging panel. The panel was led by AAEE (Australian Association of Environmental Educators) chair Sue Martin, accompanied by Newcastle environmental advocate Alexa Stuart, health promotion specialist Dan Brown, CoastXP founder Dominic May and founder of the BEATS.org Tommy Viljoen.

Winning the primary school section was Hamilton Public School who focused on SDGs 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing) and 13 (Climate Action) to create a project titled People Power.

“[We are] aspiring to improve the health of individuals and our community.

We aim to clean the air and promote physical health by promoting modes of transport that are strictly people powered!”

Winning the secondary school section was St Joseph’s Lochinvar who looked at flood mitigation due to local urbanisation and how it is affecting their school, coming up with a solution that utilised the excess water to irrigate their school farm. Their project incorporated SDGs 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) and 15 (Life on Land) and was an excellent example of how global issues can be addressed at a local level.

Runner-up in the primary section the runner-up was St Brigid’s Primary School who focused on SDG 15 (Life on Land).

and in the secondary section was the Centre of Excellence in Agricultural Education for their focus on SDG 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing)

The Hon. Kate Washington, Member for Port Stephens/Minister for Families and Communities/ Minister for Disability Inclusion was especially impressed by the calibre of the presentations:

“I love this program. It gives students, who are already solving the problems of the future, a chance to shine,” she said.

The Hon Kate Washington MP with students from St Brigid’s Primary School

The Hon. Tim Crakanthorp, Member for Newcastle with students from Hamilton Public School

 

Other special guests were the Hon. Tim Crakanthorp, Member for Newcastle/Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education/Minister for the Hunter, Declan Clausen, Deputy Mayor of Newcastle and representatives from Newcastle and Maitland Councils, Hunter Local Land Services and the NSW Office of Regional Youth.

#creatingabetterfuturetogether

#youngenvironmental champions

#action4agriculture