Tag / Creative Sustainability

by Lynne Strong

Australian Primary School Students are taking action to help us all achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are being realised by primary students in 2022 as they participate in Kreative Koalas. Twenty eight schools from across rural and urban NSW will investigate global sustainability issues and explore their own solutions within their communities in this innovative program delivered by Action4Agriculture.

The SDG are a suite of 17 actionable targets described by the United Nations as a ā€œblueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all”. Kreative Koalas provides the opportunity for students to be part of a team that takes a deep dive into ideas and solutions and empowers them to act as future decision makers for the planet.

Using art to stimulate design, creativity, teamwork and project development the program gifts each school with a life-sized fibreglass koala on which to express their sustainability theme. The students are connected with a diverse range of local sustainability experts from Indigenous elders to government agencies and together create a community action project.

In 2020 St Brigidā€™s Primary School at Raymond Terrace participated in Kreative Koalas by looking at SDG 15: Life on Land. Students researched 12 endangered species and voted the Hunter River Turtle as their focus, enlisting the help of Hunter Local Land Services. Also touching on SDG 3 (Good health and well-being), 12 (Responsible consumption and production) and 13 (Climate action) the students planted a vegetable garden and used the produce to create, and then sell, meals in the school canteen. In doing so they raised $300, which they donated to the Australian Reptile Park to assist with the construction of new facilities for the Hunter River Turtle.

ā€œOne of the legacies of Kreative Koalas has been we now celebrate World Turtle Day each year and continue to raise money,ā€ St Brigidā€™s teacher Kristen Jones says. ā€œIn 2021 we again donated to the Australian Reptile Park and in 2022 we are hoping to support charity Sea Shelter in their work with sea turtles. Another legacy has been the implementation of a new bin system at the school for waste reduction and participation in the REDcyle program.ā€

St Brigidā€™s will be a part of Kreative Koalas again in 2022 and Kristen has learnt to let the students lead the learning.

ā€œOur kids are already passionate about sustainability and the environment and they will run the project,ā€ she says. ā€œWhen we started Kreative Koalas in 2020 I had all these ideas of what I wanted to do but when I actually listened to the kids I realised they already had a very clear idea of what would work and what they wanted.ā€

Watch the St Brigid’s students share their 2020 journey here

 

Kreative Koalas becomes beloved by teachers as well as students. Kitchen Garden teacher Cassandra Lindsay has delivered Kreative Koalas in two previous schools and is looking forward to delivering the program in a new format at Penrith Public School.

Students at Penrith Public School have set up a Kreative Koalas corner in their classroom

ā€œWhilst I have identified goals and ideas that are important to me I know real success comes from giving the students ownership of the project. We will be inviting the students to be the driving force and decide our direction,ā€ Cass says.

Ā ā€œThe principal of Penrith Public School is highly supportive of the Kitchen Garden program and environmental awareness programs and in Term 2 and Term 3 of 2022 Kreative Koalas has been allocated space in our school timetable to run in conjunction with the Kitchen Garden program. This means the students Iā€™ve selected, based on their interests, will be able to withdraw from class and come into my classroom to work solely on Kreative Koalas. That shows how much support the school has for the project.ā€

Ā ā€œI’ve selected Year Four students because I want these students to have the opportunity to develop leadership skills to support other students as they go into Year 5 and 6. My experience participating in Kreative Koalas in the past is that it immerses students in learning that has genuine impact, builds their networks, and helps them develop new skills. By starting early, we can help develop them into capacity builders for other students, a very important skill as they transition into high school.

Ā ā€œI’m looking at long term engagement. I’ve got a mix of students in the group. Some of them are very artistic. Some are good at thinking outside the box. I look forward to finding out what they want to focus on.

Ā ā€œThe Kreative Koalas model is designed to involve the whole school in the project with students as young as kindergarten learning about its purpose, which is aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.ā€

Action4Agriculture has been working with young people for almost 20 years with Kreative Koalas and its partner programs, The Archibull Prize and Young Farming Champions. Throughout this time director Lynne Strong and her team have listened to the environmental and social concerns of our next generation and built resources to support them.

ā€œKreative Koalas allows our young people to create and implement their own solutions relevant to their school and their communities. They learn how to design and deliver projects that have genuine impact in making the world a better place. We welcome to the 2022 Kreative Koalas program returning schools and teachers, new schools and a new cohort of students and look forward to watching their sustainability journeys,ā€ Lynne says.

#YouthVoices #CreatingaBetterWorldTogether

 

 

by Lynne Strong

Celebrating Our Partnerships ā€“ FEAST reaches 500

Today we celebrate OzHarvest FEAST reaching 500 primary schools across Australia and influencing inspiring nearly 35,000 future change-makers to waste less and care for our planet.

Celebrating strategic partnerships that:

  • encourage all Australians to value food, and the people and the places that provide it, and

  • take climate action by not wasting this most basic of human needs.

Action4Agriculture has a long-standing partnership with OzHarvest who deliver the successful FEAST program into primary schools alongside our Kreative Koalas. FEAST (Food Education and Sustainability Training) is a Year 5 and 6 curriculum-aligned education program, encouraging kids to eat healthy, waste less and become change-makers in their local community.

 

ā€œAction4Agriculture recognises there are organisations doing great things in the food and nutrition space and through our collaboration we can help each other multiply our impact. We appreciate our key partnership with OzHarvest and congratulate them on reaching 500 schools with FEAST,ā€ Action4Agriculture director Lynne Strong says.

Together we are supporting Australian schools to take action on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals #SDG 2 Zero Waste, #SDG 12Ā  Responsible Production and Consumption, #SDG 13 Climate Action

The benefits of this successful collaboration are also recognised by Madison Lucas, OzHarvest FEAST National Program Manager.

ā€œOzHarvestā€™s FEAST Education program values its partnership with Action4Agriculture, as they both share a common vision to bring food and environmental education into schools by providing ongoing support for teachers and delivering on a number of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. Itā€™s great to see like-minded programs like FEAST and Kreative Koalas come together to inspire children to value food and care for our planet. Both programs understand the importance of encouraging community engagement and provide opportunities for our students to have a voice and take action to prevent food waste,ā€ she says.

The partnership between FEAST and Kreative Koalas is exemplified by St Brigidā€™s Public School at Raymond Terrace who combined the programs to protect the threatened Hunter River Turtle in 2020.

As part of Kreative Koalas the students at St Brigidā€™s chose to focus their attention on threatened species, selecting the Hunter River Turtle as their school mascot. By participating in FEAST they planted a vegetable garden and used the cooking kit provided by OzHarvest to hold three cooking days utilising their home-grown produce. Items made were sold at the school canteen.

ā€œAll funds raised were dedicated to the Hunter River Turtle and we are thrilled to say we have made a $300 donation to the Australian Reptile Park and the work it does to protect the species,ā€ teacher Kristen Jones says.

Kristen and St Brigidā€™s students travelled to the Australian Reptile Park to make their donation in person to Tim Faulkner. They were given a tour of the new turtle facilities nearing completion, and looked at a successful clutch of Manning River turtles in anticipation of how the breeding program will work.

ā€œTim tells us our $300 will go directly to the care and breeding program of the Hunter River Turtle. The whole Year 6 cohort is extremely proud of their achievements and our school has gone turtle mad,ā€ Kristen says.

Read more about this exciting project here.

As Kreative Koalas rolls out for another year, Action4Agriculture welcomes the opportunity for our schools to once again partner with the OzHarvest FEAST program. Together we can promote the Sustainable Development Goals, inspire communities and create tomorrowā€™s change-makers today.

Sign your school up to participate in FEAST hereĀ 

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by Lynne Strong

Giving Young People the tools to follow their GPS and learn the Power of We

Young Australians are entering another year of learning what it takes to stay resilient.Ā At Action4Agriculture we are giving teachers the tools through our action learning programs The Archibull Prize and Kreative Koalas to support young people come together to find their GPS*

ā€œComing together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.ā€ – Henry Ford

 

 

See how St Paul’s Primary School in the Hunter followed their GPS

You can find out how it works here

Applications are now open for 2022 You can sign your school up hereĀ 

Mega thx to Chris Fenning for introducing us to the GPS model we love it

by Lynne Strong

The Power of Art to Heal

This post shines a spotlight on SDG 3 and how The Archibull Prize and Kreative Koalas can improve the health of our students and our selves

The United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (SDG) underpin our Action4Agriculture (A4A) school programs and our values. In schools students are tasked with identifying a goal they want to achieve

 

The problem they have to solve or the barrier they need to overcome to achieve their goal

We then invite them to design and deliver a community behavior change program to make it happen

 

In past years popular SDGs chosen by schools have been:

  • SDG 2 ā€“ Zero Hunger
  • SDG 12 ā€“ Responsible Consumption and Production
  • SDG 13 ā€“ Climate Action
  • SDG 14 ā€“ Life Below Water
  • SDG 15 ā€“ Life on Land

In 2021 The Henry Lawson High School in Grenfell, NSW, became the first school to incorporate SDG 3 ā€“ Good Health and Well-being, as their theme to guide their Archibull Prize entry. Teacher Jillian Reidy explains their progress to date:

ā€œOur vision for our 2021 Archie was to focus on well-being and use the cow to be a public artwork to express well-being words provided by the community and well-being initiatives within the school. Well-being initiatives include the design of a well-being haven for students, and a colour run that was designed but which we have not been able to run due to COVID restrictions. We have also initiated another public art project working with the council which will explore well-being. Funding has been applied for and we are hoping to have it completed mid 2022.ā€

Watch Jillian talk about how the school was inspired to go on their journey here

Living with a pandemic has forced us all to re-evaluate our own health and well-being and to develop strategies to increase resilience. In the Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) Annual Statistical Report 2018 resilience in adolescents was found to be higher when they had a strong sense of belonging at school and had friends they could trust and communicate with about problems. The Henry Lawson High School is proactive on this strengthening of resilience.

Similarly, in primary schools it has been important to build resilience, especially in school communities where the pandemic came hot on the heels of devastating bushfires in 2019-2020. To support these schools St Vincent de Paulā€™s (Vinnies) Ā Bushfire Recovery and Community Development Program provided funding to deliver Kreative Koalas into five schools.

The Vinnies Program has three major areas of focus ā€“ future preparedness and building resilience, community cohesion, and environmental regeneration and sustainability. ā€œVinnies views Kreative Koalas as aligning with all three, but particularly the resilience building and environmental sustainability,ā€ John Fenech, the manager of Community Development Bushfire Recovery at St Vincent de Paul Society of NSW says.

The Australian Government recently created a Student Wellbeing Hub, which incorporates Beyond Blueā€™s report on resilience in children aged 0-12. This resource is available to teachers who can use further resources within Kreative Koalas to create targeted resilience interventions for their students in need.

When we take time to reflect we realise SDG 3 affects not only our students and teachers but all of us. Our good health and well-being underpins all we do in our lives, just as the SDG underpins the work of Action4Agriculture.

Read how more of our Archibull Prize schools are building resilience here

Apply to participate in The Archibull Prize 2022 hereĀ 

Apply to participate in Kreative Koalas 2022 hereĀ 

#sustainability #environmental #resilience #pandemic #bushfirerecovery

 

by Lynne Strong

Hill Top Public School uses Kreative Koalas as a catalyst to report on education for sustainability

Hill Top Public School, in the NSW Southern Highlands, has found participation in the Kreative Koalas program to be the catalyst towards a revolution in how education is reported to parents of students; and in doing so is normalising the topic of sustainability in homes and communities.

The Australian Curriculum currently incorporates three cross-curriculum priorities to support relevant, contemporary and engaging education for students. These priorities are:

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Culture
  • Asia and Australiaā€™s Engagement with Asia
  • Education for Sustainability

ā€œEducation for sustainability develops the knowledge, skills, values and world-views necessary for people to act in ways that contribute to more sustainable patterns of living. It enables individuals and communities to reflect on ways of interpreting and engaging with the world.Ā  Sustainability education is futures-oriented, focusing on protecting environments and creating a more ecologically and socially just world through informed action. Actions that support more sustainable patterns of living require consideration of environmental, social, cultural and economic systems and their interdependence.”Ā Ā Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA)

 

While the priorities are designed to complement standard curriculum such as Maths and English, they are not stand-alone learning areas, and as such are not required to be reported on. Hill Top Public School is about to change that. Principal Mark Gardiner explains why:

ā€œWe are committed to sustainability education as all humans have a vested interest in sustainability. So much of what we want to do with sustainability crosses all curriculum areas and weā€™re trying to change the way we do business by reporting that to parents. It’s a pretty simple thing to do and it also embeds sustainability in the minds of the parents and in the community.Ā  My conversations with our parents tell me that most parents do understand environmental issues and sustainability are important; and this puts it in the forefront of their mind. It’s a bit of a bold new venture that we’re undertaking, and Kreative Koalas has been the seed thatā€™s started this idea.ā€

Fifteen students from Years 5 and 6 are directly involved with the schoolā€™s Kreative Koala project, which has been generously supported by the St Vincent de Paul Society, with a focus on Sustainable Development Goals 7 (affordable and clean energy) and 13 (climate action). Lead teachers for the project are Suzanne Capps and Sharon Doust.

Together students and teachers have connected with a range of community and business initiatives to enhance their Kreative Koala experience. They have learned about carbon sequestration and its impact on sustainability from Climate Friendly, formed a relationship with the local Indigenous community to develop an understanding of ancient fire-practice habits and native food gardens, engaged with the arts and science departments at Bowral High School, and are involved with a sustainability project with Wingecarribee Council, which Suzanne sees as a critical component.

ā€œProject Sustainable Us is a storytelling collaborative from Wingecarribee Shire Council and Artiste Films . Theyā€™re making a series of short documentaries based on sustainability in the community, and we have four student leaders working on individual movies. Xavier is doing a presentation on climate change in our community, Oliver is doing the science of climate change, Amelia is looking at what climate change means for her generation and Mikayla is looking at the politics of climate change,ā€ Suzanne says.

Sharon is the dedicated sustainability teacher at Hill Top and is helping students develop and execute three action plans for:

  • sustainable practices for the school and the garden
  • energy
  • climate action

The sustainability team is enlisting the local Indigenous community and the Hill Top Community Association to develop the kitchen garden, the schoolā€™s P&C and Cecilia Kemp from Wingecarribee Shire Council to discuss energy action, and the schoolā€™s literacy program will build up knowledge of communications to promote climate change through appropriate channels.Ā 

ā€œWe see this action plan as a long-term project and the Koala has been our springboard to diversify learning in meaningful ways,ā€ says Suzanne Capps, Assistant PrincipalĀ 

While all schools involved in Kreative Koalas experience similar learning and engagement with the project it is Hill Top Public Schoolā€™s commitment to report on their sustainability findings that gives them a point of difference and illustrates the power of Kreative Koalas to make real-world change.

Sue Martin is the president of the NSW Chapter of the Australian Association for Environmental Education and congratulates the school for their approach:Ā 

ā€œPrioritising sustainability is recognition that as teachers, parents and a community we all work to ensure our children and students have bright futures. Our students live in an era of many challenges to the complex environmental systems that provide support for all life on our planet. Reporting on sustainability gives teachers the opportunity to embed sustainable practices in their everyday teaching. What becomes the norm at school, becomes the norm at home and becomes the norm for students throughout their lifetime.ā€

In 2019 the school and community of Hill Top were impacted by devastating bushfires. With support from St Vincent de Paul, and their renewed focus on the school garden, energy issues and climate action, students will heal and re-grow and take the community along with them on their sustainability journey whilst helping to create informed global citizens.

 

#Partneredlearning #KreativeKoalas #EducationforSustainability

by Lynne Strong

Want to drive change – who do you think should be the messenger?

One of the keys to being a successful changemaker is the capacity to identify the best role models for your audience. Who will be the most effective messenger?

Part of the Action4Agriculture experience for teachers participating in The Archibull Prize and Kreative Koalas – design a bright future competition is access to experts who share with our teachers the psychology of change management. Our Changeologist Les Robinson reminds schools about the importance of choosing the right messenger in his brilliant 60 minute workshops on The Art of Change. Our experience also tells us schools who support each other make things happen faster

Today’s blog post shows the pivotal role connectors play in creating a thriving community network and marrying the often complex concepts of agriculture, sustainability and environment. A wonderful example of this ecosystem at work was highlighted recently through Hamilton Public School and the Centre of Excellence In Agricultural Education .

Zane Osborn is the assistant principal at Hamilton Public School in Newcastle where UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) have informed learning for the past three years. With a school garden already a community focal point for SDGs Zane approached Kris Beazley at the Centre of Excellence and joined their No Bees No Future project. Kris in turn suggested Hamilton Public School participate in Action4Agricultureā€™s Kreative Koalas, which it commenced in 2021.

As part of the Kreative Koalas project Hamilton Public conducted surveys with students and families and came to three conclusions:

  • Most people in the community would like to contribute to positive climate action,
  • Very few people knew about the SDGs,
  • People want simple ideas they can action right now in their home and community to help the environment

ā€œWe talked about how the simple things we do in our garden (that have a positive impact on the climate) can be an example to other people in the community and can inspire them to do the same; things such as preserving biodiversity, eliminating chemicals, encouraging and preserving pollinators. We wanted to do some peer to peer teaching and educate our community of families and other nearby schools.ā€ Zane says.

This peer-to-peer messaging took the form of a series of impressive videos broadcasted on YouTube.

ā€œWith a Sustainable School Grant and lots of passionate students and teachers we were able to drive the creation of Blue Gate Garden TV. Students created episodes all based around ā€œlessonsā€ on how people can make a positive impact on the climate,ā€ Zane says.

Students and staff at Hamilton Public School have successfully taken complex eco-literacy concepts and created a common language for all.

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Read more about Hamilton Public School hereĀ 

Not to be outdone Kris Beazley was also working on eco-literacy with her Year 7 AgSTEM students at the Centre of Excellence, by creating resources for primary students.

ā€œOur Year 7 AgSTEM student team consists of nine students who are undertaking a unique learning model. In their curriculum they focus all their learning through four lenses – Sustainability, Agriculture, STEM and Aboriginal Knowledges. This year our student team have engaged in a number of projects aimed at educating themselves and others about issues related to the environment and climate action.Ā  In this capacity they have worked with primary school aged children, teenagers and adults from varying generations. This translational approach has been a theme throughout their work this year,ā€ Kris says.

Tapping into the schoolā€™s wealth of agricultural connectors the students were able to commence their research with a Hackathon with Cotton Australia and Australian Wool Innovation, which influenced their project for The Archibull Prize.

ā€œAs part of their Archie the students developed teaching resources for primary school students about sustainable fibre production in Australia and end of life options for Australian cotton and wool. In completing their project they have written educational books, learning resources and games for primary aged students. They also presented a workshop for primary students across NSW as part of an Ag Week conference, promoting sustainable end of life options for cotton,ā€ Kris says.

Working with agricultural connectors and participating in programs such as Kreative Koalas and The Archibull Prize has enabled students across primary and secondary schools to engage peer-to-peer messaging. The result has been an increase in eco-literacy within communities, celebrated by Blue Gate Garden TV and a suite of new shared educational resources. And in a spectacular polish to these achievements both Hamilton Public School and the Centre of Excellence have been recognised as finalists in the NSW Banksia Awards Ministerā€™s Young Climate Champion categoryĀ Ā 

“The Minister’s Young Climate Champion Award recognises young innovators aged under 18 years who bring bold ideas for a safe and thriving climate future that align with any of the UN SDGs. Young and passionate minds who have taken outstanding actions that benefit the sustainability of their communities and help address climate change will be showcased in this award, which is a celebration of young people with drive, commitment and a passion for sustainability and the environment.”

Mega congratulations to all involved.

 

 

 

by Lynne Strong

Hamilton Public School channeling the SDGs and Costa Georgiadis to grow the leaders of tomorrow

Using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as the lens one Kreative Koalas school inspired another to put the program ā€œfront and centreā€ of all its learning – and created a rival to Gardening Australia in the processĀ 

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ā€œWhen you dig up a piece of soil like this all you think is brown dirtā€, says a student from Hamilton Public School (HPS).Ā With a shovel in his hand for a video camera, this pupil and his peers who have created ā€œBlue Gate Garden TVā€, part of their entry for this first-time Kreative Koalas school, could be the next Costa Georgiadis.

 

The brainchild of the Newcastle school and filmed in their community garden, the seven-episode series aims to educate and inform parents, neighbours and others across Australia about the United Nationsā€™ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

 

Itā€™s one of the many initiatives of HPS, led by assistant principal Zane Osborn and inspired by award-winning Medowie Christian School, who shared their Kreative Koalaā€™s storytelling success tips. With the SDGs already embedded in their curriculum for the past two years, HPS applied for a Sustainable Schools Grant at the end of 2020. At the same time, they began looking at adapting the Centre of Excellence in Agricultural Education (CoE) No Bees No Future program to students learnings

 

ā€œKris Beazley from CoE who delivers the No Bees No Future program said to us ā€˜youā€™re doing Kreative Koalas without knowing about it. You need to get on their website and register your interest in the program”

ā€œWe were already on the way to producing Blue Gate Garden TV, and Kreative Koalas was the final piece of the puzzle that provided the pathway to pursue it.ā€ says Zane.

 

The grant money allowed HPS to buy film equipment, and they hired permaculture gardener, sustainability educator and video artist Suzy Bates for the shooting.

 

To create the seriesā€™ scripts, exploring SDG goals such as Goal 2 – ā€œzero hungerā€ – Zaneā€™s students practiced informative and persuasive writing techniques.Ā  In the process, they drew upon the advice of Martha Atkins from Medowie Christian School in the NSW Hunter region. In her tips and tricks video Martha advises schools to makeĀ  Kreative Koalas ā€œfront and centreā€ of their teaching program

 

ā€œItā€™s a really helpful way to allow time and give you space to do this well rather than try to fit it in on top of what youā€™re already teaching,ā€ Martha says.

Zane says when he saw what Martha had done he thought ā€œthis is incredibleā€.

 

ā€œMartha certainly provided lots of inspiration based on what she did and the nuts and bolts of how to get it done,ā€ he says.

 

HPS were already aligning every unit of work with a global goal and using novels such as Boy Overboard and Refugee to explore human rights issues, Zane says he didnā€™t envisage jumping into another program at the start of 2021.

 

ā€œI didnā€™t have this in my scope, but once the year evolved and we started to go down this path with the bees we realised Kreative Koalas was a perfect complement ā€ he says.

 

After they held an ā€˜ideation design thinking dayā€™, the HPS students came up with nearly 500 different ways of working towards fulfilling the SDG goals with a strong focus on SDG 15 – ā€œlife on landā€.

 

ā€œAs we refined our brainstorming further, we took our inspiration for our model from Gardening Australia,ā€ says Zane.

 

The school ended up dedicating a whole term to the project. After conducting all the research, storyboarding the episodes, learning how to use the film equipment and shooting, they spent about three weeks in early June filming.

 

In one episode of Blue Gate Garden TV, students Rafa, Luca, Ryder and Mateo demonstrate how to test the soil with a pH kit, using dye, sulphate, vinegar, bicarb soda, water and other materials. In others, three girls demonstrate how to ā€œgrow a pizzaā€ with ingredients picked from the schoolā€™s Blue Gate Garden, and a boy pretends to be a bee escaping from a pesticide.

Blue Gate Garden TV featuring the use of pH Methods

 

With seven episodes done and dusted, thereā€™s another ten of the series in the pipeline. While Year six has been the focus for Kreative Koalas, the success of the program for HPS has meant that year four and kindergarten have also done some filming for Blue Gate Garden TV. One year four class has been so inspired by the series, that theyā€™re even hoping to create their own show!

Blue Gate Garden TV Making Wicking Beds

Making Kreative Koalas front and centre of their subjects put HPS ahead of the curve for the world-renowned schools Kreative Koalas when COVID lockdowns started.Ā HPSā€™s supportive community of parents, also hungry for sustainable solutions to environmental problems, has also ensured its success.

 

ā€œThe things that you work hardest at are the things that you find most rewarding,ā€ says Zane, who teaches geography, science, English, creative and performing arts, of his schoolā€™s Kreative Koalas results.

 

A ā€œUN Blue Dayā€, an open day for the school to showcase the work theyā€™re doing in pursuit of the SDGs, where they will launch Blue Gate Garden TV, is also planned once COVID restrictions are lifted.

 

ā€œWe are always looking for innovative ways to teach principles embedded in the UN goals for sustainable development, which are central to our programming at HPS.

ā€œWe also have a strong sustainability policy and several projects which promote a ā€˜think global, act localā€™ approach to issues.ā€Ā  Ā says Zane.

 

Zane is an example of a teacher taking every opportunity to ensure their students haveĀ the best experience and are prepared for the jobs of the future, says A4A founder and national program director Lynne Strong.

 

ā€œHe is one of those people who plan, plan, plan, plan and he made sure that his students made the most of every non-COVID moment in term two to create Blue Gate Garden TV,ā€ she says.

 

Zane, a teacher of a decade who has been at HPS for the past five years, says that his advice for other Kreative Koalas teachers is setting aside time and making the program a learning priority, as itā€™s already connected to so much syllabus content.

ā€œItā€™s becoming the best practice model for education where students can see that the Science, English and Math they are learning are all connected to real world issues.

ā€œIt allows you to create more meaningful and more relevant learning for students.ā€ he says.

https://youtu.be/ZeZqBgf1d_I

Hamilton Public School Blue Gate TV talk Biodiversity

 

Having participated in Kreative Koalas for the past two years, Martha Atkins says that in 2019 Medowie Christian School realised that the program ā€œticks off so many outcomes in nearly every subject, so we didnā€™t need to do it as an added extraā€.

ā€œWe could make that our whole program for the term or the whole two terms and for a whole semester our main program for science, art and English,ā€ she says.

Like all schools in lockdown areas the pandemic situation for students’ learning is far from ideal, and schools like HPS are doing the best they can to ensure no student is left behind.

Kreative Koalas had helped to keep the students engaged in what had been an ā€œincredibly challengingā€ time.ā€ Zane says.

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Hamilton Public School also followed Martha’s advice to take lots of photos of your journey

 

Medowie Christian Schoolā€™s tips for Kreative KoalasĀ 

Shoutout to our supporting partners nurturing next gen changemakers

 

by Lynne Strong

Announcing the 2020 Kreative Koalas winners

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Winning entries, which highlight “amazing creativity, energy and amount of workā€ include the competitionā€™s first wannabe turtle, showcasing caring for country, and a disco jiving koala who warns our planet is burningĀ 

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The 2020 winners of the world-renowned schools program Kreative Koalas, where students paint a blank fibreglass koala to depict a sustainability theme, have been unveiledĀ 

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In a year full of challenges, the winning category entries from the schools illustrate extraordinary talent, determination and effort, said judge and globally-renowned community change expert Les Robinson.

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ā€œIā€™m gobsmacked by the amazing creativity, energy and amount of work put into all of the projects,ā€ said Les, adding that the students thought logically and introduced concrete actions for change in their school and community.

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The winners include St Brigidā€™s Primary School in Raymond Terrace in the NSW Hunter Valley with their unique ā€œHunter Bila Guraaā€, which scooped the Best Digital Learning Journey prize.Ā 

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Sitting on a river depicting one healthy, green, tree-lined embankment that turtles need, and one drought stricken burnt side which makes them so vulnerable to predators, his head is decorated with the Aboriginal flag colours to represent caring for country.Ā 

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The animal, whose name means ā€œHunter River Turtleā€ in the Gathang language of the Worimi people, is a koala who wanted to become a turtle and has a large version of the latter painted on his back.

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ā€œThe yellow lines coming away from his nose portray him as a warrior, as we have become biodiversity warriors through this journey,ā€ said the students, who also wanted to represent four of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with their entry.Ā 

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Sporting a shirt literally off a farmerā€™s back, ā€œDusty Paddocksā€, co-winner of the Best Artwork prize, is the environmental superhero brainchild of Caragabal Public School in Caragabal, central west NSW, who have suffered a three-year drought and were last year featured on ABC Behind the News

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His shirt, donated by a local family, is coated with pot fragments to evoke visions of a parched earth. But it opens at the front to reveal a Superman suit, representing the power that kids have to save our planet.

Ā ā€œIt is about the hope for a better future for their land and their families,ā€ said the students.

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Annangrove Public School in Sydneyā€™s west are co-winners of the Best Community Action Project with their project to ā€œtransform our food systems to transform the worldā€ to help out the hungry, educate others, and reduce their ā€œfood footprintā€.Ā 

The ongoing legacy of their Kreative Koalas journey sees students hold ā€œWaste Free Wednesdaysā€, share regular tips on sustainable practices in the school newsletter, and donate eggs and vegetables from a new garden to a nearby community kitchen, who they sponsor.

ā€œThe surprising thing for us was how easy it became to incorporate sustainability into our everyday lives, and not just in terms of food,ā€ said the students

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Raymond Terrace Public School in the Hunter Valley, who are co-winners of the Best Artwork award, came up with a cool koala with a disco mirror ball for a head who jives to “Burn Baby Burn”.Ā 

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But “Disco Inferno” also carries a grim warning: we will continue to see the extreme and unsustainable effects of global warming, including horiffic bushfires, devastating populations and native species and environments unless action is taken.

Ā ā€œAs the Kreative Koala project evolved, we journeyed more towards the awareness of what was occurring globally with bushfires and responded reflectively to the experiences of Australian communities in 2019/2020,ā€ said the students.

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Co-winners of the Best Community Action project, Medowie Christian School Primary in the Hunter Valley, took a multi-pronged project approach, starting a kindergarten garden and foodway tin drive later.Ā  The students also participated in the OzHarvest FEAST program, through which pupils learnt how to prepare food and cook sustainably. The studentsā€™ efforts whereĀ featured on ABC radio and in local paper the Port Stephens Examiner.Ā 

“Its just extraordinary what is happening in our schools. I take my hat off to all these committed teachers and their problem solver students. They make us all proud of our education system” says Action for Agriculture program director Lynne Strong

Ā Martha Atkins from Medowie Christian School shares her Kreative Koalas journey tips and tricks here

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“The schools were chosen as winners because they started with big global problems, for example hunger. Then they logically drilled down to identify realistic actions students could really do to make a real difference.Ā 

This was backed up with research, and creative reports which were clear and enjoyable to read.Ā 

The projects were hands-on, for instance the ones that involved growing and cooking your own food which is the best way to make a change because you donā€™t just tell people why, you show them how,ā€ says project judge Les Robinson.

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The Kreative Koalas school program is one of Action for Agriculture flagship initiatives and we look forward to bringing together the winners for a celebratory event, where the Grand Champion will be announced, when COVID restrictions are lifted.Ā 

See all the artwork finalists here

See all the Community Action Project finalists here

Mega thanks to our supporting partners growing tomorrow’s leaders today

by Lynne Strong

Nourishing our country and our wellbeing through partnerships with leading charities

 

Five schools are set to benefit from one ofĀ Australia’sĀ largest and most iconicĀ charitiesĀ supporting one ofĀ Picture You in Agricultureā€™s (PYiA) flagship programs.

St Vincent de Paulā€™sĀ NSWĀ Bushfire Recovery and Community DevelopmentĀ ProgramĀ is supporting PYiA to expand the reach of Kreative Koalas, growing our collaborations with other social and environmental nonprofits.

The schools – Bomaderry Public School, Hilltop Public School, Nowra East Public School, Robertson Public School and St George Basin PS ā€“ are located in Wingecarribee, in the NSW southern highlands, and Shoalhaven in the stateā€™s southeast. Both areas were badly affected by the horrific 2019-2020 bushfiresĀ that swept across Australia.

 

ā€œThrough our collaborations with organisations like St Vincent de Paul and OzHarvest, throughĀ itsĀ FEASTĀ program, we are nourishing both ourĀ country and our wellbeing,ā€ says Lynne Strong, founder and national program director of PYiA.

John Fenech, the manager of Community Development Bushfire Recovery atĀ St Vincent de Paul Society of NSW said that the charity was delighted to be joining forces with PYiA.

ā€œā€™Vinniesā€™ and PYiA share common values in both being organisations focused on social justice and systemic change.

ā€œKreative Koalas inspires young people to investigate and reflect on global environmental and sustainability issues and translate that learning into action at a local level in their communities.ā€ he says.

Ā The Vinnies Bushfire Recovery and Community Development Program has three major areas of focus ā€“ future preparedness and building resilience, community cohesion, and environmental regeneration and sustainability.

ā€œVinnies views Kreative Koalas as aligning with all three, but particularly the resilience building and environmental sustainability,ā€ says John.

Teachers say that the schools wanted to participate in Kreative Koalas program as they are ā€œsustainability-drivenā€ and already have existing innovative projects using kitchen gardens and recycling.

ā€œWe have community members who engage with these initiatives and as a school we are engaging action learning projects as a way of extending student thinking and engagement,ā€ says one.

Another praises Kreative Koalas as a ā€œleadership development programā€, and wants to use it to build relationships between their school, the community, industry and business, as well as support students transitioning to secondary school. Another says that they had signed up to the program to teach pupils about ā€œnot living in such a throwaway societyā€. Others want their students to challenge themselves and to develop teamwork skills to allow them to communicate and work together effectively in the future.

Kreative Koalas along with The Archibull Prize and Young Farming Champions, PYiAā€™s other world-class flagship programs, aim to showcase the diversity of careers and career pathway opportunities in the agriculture sector.

We thank all our partners who are investing in the future by empowering young Australians to solve tomorrow’s problems today

 

#youthvoices #youthinag #cultivate #growingleaders #SDGs #goodworks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by Lynne Strong

Careers and Pathways to a job in agriculture – a personal approach to reaching hearts and minds

One of the guiding principles of Picture You in Agriculture (PYiA) is to introduce students to the world of work and encourage the uptake of agricultural careers by presenting the industry as an exciting option for a career with purpose.

Together with our supporting partners PYiA delivers the in-school programs Kreative Koalas ( primary students) and The Archibull Prize (secondary students) to ensure career development begins on the first day of school.

This life-long learning journey is further strengthened by the engagement of Young Farming Champions, a cohort of young agricultural professionals who relate easily to students.

The programs:

  • Align with the National Career Education Strategy using bottom-up tried and tested innovative localised approaches targeting wants and needs of teachers, students, parents and carers.
  • Support partnerships to thrive between schools, education and training providers, employers, parents and carers, and the broader community.
  • Ensure students have transferable skills that equip them for the future of work.

Our surveys and research over the last decade have proven this to be a highly effective model of keeping agriculture careers front of mind, improving agricultural career outcomes, creating educational pathways and catering for the needs of teachers and students and the future workforce and employers.

Kreative Koalas is an action learning program for primary school students that introduces them to the world of work through connection to the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals. Kreative Koalas embeds sustainability across multiple Key Learning Areas of the school curriculum and encourages students to develop external collaborations with professionals within their community; expanding their understanding of the world of work as they learn how people in different jobs contribute to a sustainable future.

We were lucky to have the opportunity to have a Zoom meeting with farmer and environmentalist Karin Stark, whose family uses renewable energy (solar) to power their cotton and wheat farm. This was an extremely valuable experience, as students were able to develop their knowledge and understanding of how renewable energy can be used in different communities for different purposes.

The Archibull Prize then consolidates this introduction by showing students career pathways to sustainability though the lens of agriculture and asking them to investigate innovative approaches to problem solving in an industry that requires multi-disciplinary knowledge and skills. Throughout The Archibull Prize students develop the transferable 21st century skills that underpin employability for the future.

“Picture You in Agricultureā€™s school-based programs support the establishment of school-industry partnerships, connecting young people with the world of work in agriculture. Delivered to students K-12, these programs were adapted by teachers to meet the developmental needs of students and used to integrate a range of subject interests and skills into project-based learning activities. Teachers were empowered to collaborate with local community groups, employers, and organisations which meant the program activities provide effective career guidance in ways that are meaningful for students. It is promising, that in a year where teachers reported significant challenges with studentā€™s engagement at school due to COVID-19 restrictions, that both The Archibull Prize and Kreative Koalas programs successfully contributed to the development of participants 21st century skills and increased interest in careers in agriculture.” Dr Nicole McDonald PhD in Vocational Psychology of Agriculture, BSci. (Hons.) Psychology Program Evaluation

Underpinning the success of both Kreative Koalas and The Archibull Prize are the Young Farming Champions (YFC). Due to their age (often not much older than the students they connect with) YFC become role models. They are memorable, credible, passionate about their industries and they disruptĀ  stereotypical images of what a farmer is.

See how 2020/2021 Australian Young Farmer of the Year, Emma Ayliffe is sharing her journey to be a farmer with students here

Students learning from a YFC realise careers in agriculture can be high-level, STEM-based worlds of opportunity.

Value adding to the one-off engagement events like careers fairs offered by industry, YFC go into schools as part of a 12-week immersion process providing multiple touch points for learning and two way conversations. For these 12 weeks the YFC are basically on speed-dial for teachers and students.

YFC are trained by PYiA to be advocates for agriculture and positive role models for younger generations. Through their training they are given opportunities to practice in safe environments to become confident communicators and trusted voices in the communities in which they work and live. Horizontal development comes from online and in-person workshops where they build their skills and knowledge. Vertical development comes from the multiple opportunities to stretch themselves and interact with thought-leaders and strategists from around the world.

Our YFC represent a range of industries and professions in agriculture.

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They firstly learn to lead themselves then, as alumni, they learn to lead others while being supported by mentors from their sponsor organisations or workplace and through the YFC alumni buddy system. This produces young people who understand the importance of listening to understand and are confident sharing their story with students and opening students (teachers, parents and influencers) minds to changing images and perceptions about careers. Our research shows that YFC as role models are the key to opening the door.

Through Kreative Koalas, The Archibull Prize and Young Farming Champions, PYiA is providing leadership and career development action learning opportunities for young people from Prep to early 30s; showcasing the world of work in agriculture and sustainability and providing pathways and skills for the workforce of tomorrow.

A little bit of trivia to show its working

  • Nationally, the most popular broad field of education (in terms of the number of applications) in 2020 was Health (74,780 applicants or 26.0 per cent of all applicants). This was followed by Society and Culture (69,036 applicants or 24.0 per cent) and Management and Commerce (32,516 applicants or 11.3 per cent).
  • Fields of education that recorded strongest growth in applications in 2020 were Agriculture, Environmental and Related Studies (10.8 per cent), followed by Information Technology (9.8 per cent), Natural and Physical Sciences (3.1 per cent), Society and Culture (2.3 per cent), Education (2.0 per cent), Health (1.7 per cent), Engineering and Related Technologies (1.1 per cent) and Architecture and Building (0.7 per cent Source

At PYiA we believe leaders are made. They are products of their environments, of the people surrounding them, nurturing them, and INVESTING IN THEM.

We thank our supporting partners for investing in our Young Farming Champions

We thank our supporting partners for investing in the wellbeing of young Australians by ensuring students:

  • have the skills and capabilities to meet the challenges of the rapidly changing world of work.
  • have access to high-quality career education, and
  • make more informedĀ career and pathway decisions to prepare them for life beyond school.

#agriculture #SDGs #careersinstem #careerswithpurpose #careersinagriculture #youthinag