Greening up your Centre

Welcome fromKatrina Shields & Richard Vinycomb of Byron Region Community College

Webinar topicsGreening up your:

Knowledge Vision for your centre Relationships and networks Courses and marketing Your buildings Procurement and every day behaviours

Your staff Projects and advocacy

The realities of the environmental crisis including climate change

The larger policy context – a shift to a lower carbon economy and urgent need for educational leadership

1. Greening up your knowledge.Why bother?

Example: NSW Department of the Environment & Climate Change (DECC) and University of NSW forecasts the community in our area needs to prepare for:

“Higher temperatures (between 1-3 degrees), less rainfall in winter and spring and more rainfall in summer and autumn, more frequent and severe droughts, and more extreme storms including more high rainfall concentrations leading to flooding.

There is likely to be sea level rises of at least 40 cm by 2050 leading to inundation of low lying coastal areas. These changes are likely to have significant impacts on agricultural production, water supply, settlements and infrastructure, natural resources, biodiversity and human health.”

See Summary of Climate Impacts – North Coast Region, NSW Climate Change Action Plan Sept 2008 Department of Environment & Climate Change NSW.

Climate change predictionscoming to grips with your own region’s future

We are in the middle of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable development.

There are International, national and state policies and action strategies to mainstream education for sustainability into all sectors.

Widespread recognition that adult education will play a key role in bringing about sustainable development. The adult education sector and the VET sector has been recognised as needing urgent up skilling and mainstreaming of education for sustainability.

All training packages have been reviewed to embed sustainability skills, which will require professional development for trainers. There is a an opportunity and responsibility for RTOs to walk the talk.

The bigger educational picture

Sharan Burrow, Ex-ACTU President has said

“The low carbon economy will require the greening up of old jobs and creation of millions of new job roles. “Sustainability will become central to business strategy. Integrating sustainability into all aspects of their business – into the products they make, into their operations and processes, and into their accounting practices, they will increasingly demand green skills and knowledge. Are we up to it? As an education and training community can we do it?”

Media statement March 2009.

“Sustainable development calls for additional and different processes than those traditionally thought of in education.

The quest for sustainability demands new approaches to involve people, rather than convey just a body of knowledge.”

It requires more critical thinking skills, participation at all levels, innovation, new values and new behaviors.”

Daniella Tilbury et al in the National Review of Environmental Education and its contribution to Sustainability 2005….

Education for sustainabilityrather than about sustainability

Reflection Questions:

Overall, does your centre have any commitment to sustainability?Does it communicate that commitment internally and/or externally?

What does your Governing body agree on? What is expressed in the long term plan? How does it relate to local community,

business & government expectations?

Reflection question: Do you have a vision statement that is out of step with greening up your centre?

2.Greening up your vision

Getting connected for inspiration, information and activation. In our area we connected with: Local Government sustainability

officers, Landcare project officers, State Health Department health promotions staff, University & TAFE sustainability officers.

We also looked for tutors amongst the dedicated sustainability practitioners.

Other resources further afield: National Centre for Sustainability at Swinburne Uni , ARIES Centre for Sustainability Education at Macquarie Uni, Australian Conservation Foundation, Dept Environment Climate Change and Water, Victorian Association for Environmental Education.

Reflection Question: Who is already active in sustainability activities or education in your area?

3.Greening up your relationships and information sources

E newsletters: eg ACF Greenhome e news, Landcare e news, Biological Farmers Association of Australia e news.

Subscriptions to Magazines: eg G magazine, ABC Organic Gardener, Australian Alternative Technology Association magazine.

3.Greening up your relationships and information sources

2 examples We work with local government to run energy efficiency workshops, tours of

the local water facility, provide composting and green cleaning workshops. Have a partnership with the Mullumbimby Community Garden, with a joint

committee to run the education program. Are providing workshops in food growing in 7 local government areas

for a joint local government /state government Northern River Foodlinks Project.

Reflection Question: Are there any relationships that could be formalised for your sustainability education provision?

Pooling your resources.....

This involves a combination of behaviour changes + retro fitting. If renovating – go green!

The main areas to consider- sourcing of renewable energy, energy and water efficiency, waste minimisation including recycling, gardens, bike racks.

4. Greening up your buildings

Greener Behaviours could involve getting staff and students into recycling, double sided printing, turning off lights and air con, waste reduction, water saving behaviours and signing up for Greenpower.

Minor retro fits could include more efficient lighting, standby power off switches, overhead fans, dual flush toilets, water saving taps, waterless urinals and compost bins.

Major works if you are renovating or adding on could include installing solar power, solar hot water, integrate some passive solar design features, improve ventilation.

Greening up your buildings 3 levels

Reflection Questions: Do you know about any incentive schemes or

sources of funding to help you retrofit or renovate?Federal? State? Local?Private? Commercial? Sponsorship? Partnership?

Is there anybody who can put time into researching this? Can you share knowledge with likeminded organisations?

Do you have some $$ to put in from existing funds?

Can you add this to next budget?

Sustainable Procurement : What sort of paper do you buy? Where do your catering supplies come from? What alternatives do you provide to bottled

water?Everyday behaviours : Do you encourage recycling? Do you practise separation of organics eg use

a bokashi bin? Do you have default double sided printing? Turning off all non essential equipment and

lighting?

5. Greening up your procurement, and every day behaviours

Reflection Question: What sort of signage do you or could you have to support this?

What is one sign you could put up or system you could put in place easily now?

Signs and posters

You can encourage greener behaviours as well as having a broader influence - by giving explanations for why you are choosing to do something.

This includes general interest courses and accredited training.

Some of the non accredited courses we have run are: wide range of backyard food growing topics; water efficiency; green cleaning; energy efficient house design; solar technology; supporting biodiversity tours of sustainable houses, gardens, farms and communities...

6. Greening up your Courses and Marketing

Introducing new qualifications eg Permaculture Providing new skill sets eg Business sustainability units,

organic horticulture units. Some of these have funding available, for instance in NSW See:www.greenskills.nsw.gov.au There is an National VET Sector Sustainability Policy & Action Plan (2009-2012).

Providing professional development for trainers- eg the new TAE Units eg “Analyse and Apply Sustainability Skills to Learning Programs”.

Accredited VET training

DON’T MISS THIS UNIQUE

ONE-OFF OPPORTUNITY TO QUALIFY IN

INSTALLING IRRIGATION SYSTEMS (RTE3601A)

Thursdays 28/8 – 30/10

ACE BYRON SHIRE HAS FUNDED

GOVERNMENT PLACES IN THIS SHORT CERTIFICATE COURSE – PEOPLE BETWEEN 15 AND 25 ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY……

For further information and to enrol call ACE 66843374 or go to www.acebyron.org.au

Byron Region Community College

For people with experience in

Horticulture & Agriculture or Land Conservation and Management

Learn how to Set out and prepare sites install pressurised

systems Install grey water systems

We use: A lot of media stories print and radio A special flyer Posters around town Email networking to target interest groups Work with partner organisations.

Reflection Question: What new or extra marketing strategies could you use to reach more people with education for sustainability?

These courses may need extra or new forms of marketing

This might include: Being clear on the management approach, developing a team approach, undertaking a restructure, to creating new position(s), and a professional development program.

Do you: Have a budget? Have someone who is formally responsible to drive the agenda ? Have ways to develop a team approach? Take time for staff team meeting to reflect on the green issues

and form strategies? Provide professional development opportunities in sustainability,

both in-house and external? Celebrate your good news stories in the media?

7. Greening up your staff

After developing the expertise, there is increasing scope for funded projects especially in partnership with community and industry groups.We developed a backyard food growing teaching kit “Eden at Home” and undertook funded research in VET teaching approaches eg: “Green Thumbs & Green Goods” (horticulture and retail training resource); also“Sustainability and Energy Efficiency in RetailTraining” (professional development kit).

8. Greening up your projects and advocacy

Reflection Question:

Are there any sustainability projects that interest you and you have the resources to undertake?

Final questions, Suggestions, comments

and feedback.......

Where to from here........

Adult Learning Australia

Greening your operations and infrastructure - Tuesday 28 June

Greening your community course (non VET) programming and marketing - Thursday 28 July

Greening your partnerships, projects, advocacy and networks - Thursday 30 August

Future sustainability webinars

Thanks for your participation from Katrina, Richard, Patricia and Michael