Energy and water efficiency programs
Energy programs
Early learning centres and schools can do a number of things to save energy. As well as saving money (that can be used year on year in classroom resources), the actions you take will provide valuable learning resources to teach children about sustainability.
Resource Smart Schools
ResourceSmart Schools is an award-winning Victorian Government program that assists schools to embed sustainability in everything they do. Schools minimise waste, save energy and water, promote biodiversity and take action on climate change to benefit their school and community.
Managed by Sustainability Victoria, ResourceSmart Schools provides practical support to reduce resource use and make cost savings, integrate sustainability into the curriculum and share learnings beyond the school gate.
CERES coordinates and delivers the ResourceSmart School in the Northern, Southern and Eastern Melbourne metropolitan regions. For more information go to CERES Sustainability Hub.
Case studies
- Brunswick Secondary College (PDF 200Kb): Moreland Citizen of the Year, Peter Allan, a member of the school council panel, was the initiator and driving force behind their large solar power system.
- The Little Sprouts program (PDF 578Kb) was founded by local sustainability educator, Carolyn Luder and piloted with six Goodstart Early Learning centres with support from Merri-bek City Council’s Community Grants program. The program supports centre staff and children to learn more about local environmental issues, and embed simple sustainability actions into centre’s practices to address these.
Community grants program
Council’s Community Grants Program supports organisations (including schools and early learning centres) to implement initiatives that benefit the Merri-bek community.