Sustainable Schools

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The Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative (AuSSI) is a partnership of the Australian Government, the States and Territories that supports schools to work towards a sustainable future.

The AuSSI is a whole-of-school approach, to improve the school's management of resources and facilities including energy, waste, water, biodiversity, landscape design, products and materials. It also addresses educational, social and economic issues associated with the sustainable management of a school and the school community.

Every school in the ACT has now registered as an AuSSI ACT school. These schools have committed to becoming more sustainable and are working with their whole school community to reduce their 'ecological footprint'.

This means that these schools have commited to:

Establishing a leadership team for 'Educating for Sustainability'
Ensuring a whole school approach to implementing the initiative
Assisting contractors to conduct water, waste and energy audits
Engaging in professional development for staff linking sustainable schools to the new ACT curriculum framework
Working together to develop a School Environmental Management Plan (SEMP).
Sharing information and supporting other schools

AuSSI ACT is managed by the ACT Government, Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate in partnership with

ACT Government, Education and Training Directorate
Catholic Education Office
Australian Independent Schools Association

A Sustainable Schools Coordinator works closely with schools to encourage a whole school approach, set measurable social, educational, environmental and economic outcomes and develop a school environmental management plan (SEMP). Partnerships have been developed with several organisations to deliver the initiative.

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An independent evaluator was engaged to determine the degree to which the current ACT model is assisting schools to:

integrate best practice education for sustainabilty resulting in behavioural change
reduce the school's ecological footprint and,
create a feeling of wellbeing within the school community

Click here to read Executive Summary

Click here to read the full evaluation report

If you are interested in your school becoming a sustainable school then please call Vanessa Whelan on 6207 5812 or email vanessal.whelan@act.gov.au

Schools will be supported to develop a School Environmental Management Plan based on audits and investigations of what is already happening in each school. A School Environmental Management Plan will provide schools with an achievable framework in which to manage waste, water and energy more sustainably.

Schools involved in the AuSSI ACT will be provided with the following:

support and training to develop a School Environmental Management Plan
support to conduct water, waste and/or energy audits
professional development for staff linking sustainable schools to the new ACT curriculum
access to support programs for staff and students.