The Sustainable Schools Program is funded by the City of Coffs Harbour's Environmental Levy to coordinate the Coffs Harbour Sustainable Schools Network.
Sustainable Schools Network
The Coffs Harbour Sustainable Schools Network (SSN) is a free network which welcomes all teachers, educators and parents in Coffs Harbour who are interested in sustainability and inspiring local environmental initiatives. Join us to:
- access free Professional Development opportunities
- connect with other passionate, local educators
- attend termly local meetings with engaging workshops
- receive emails with inspiring initiatives, events and resources
- learn strategies to reduce waste in your school and community
- foster a love of nature in your students
Meetings are held once a term. They are an excellent opportunity to connect in-person, share skills and learning resources, find opportunities, and inspire ideas for growing individual and collective action in local schools, early childhood centres and communities.
If you want to be kept informed about upcoming meetings and other local sustainable education initiatives, sign up to our Coffs Harbour Sustainable Schools Network email list. Please contact the Network Coordinator coordinator.chcc@sustainableschoolsnsw.org.au to be added.
The Coffs Harbour Regional Sustainable Schools Network (SSN) is a collaborative partnership between Midwaste, the City of Coffs Harbour and Sustainable Schools NSW.
Mad Green Grants Program now closed
The annual Mad Green Grants program provided financial support to Coffs Harbour schools, pre-schools and early learning centres to undertake projects that made a difference to their local environment and community.
Funded projects engaged young people in behaviour change activities in their schools, preschools or centres, building knowledge and awareness about how to value and protect the local environment.
Successful projects met a number of critical environmental needs in our LGA such as:
- Climate change mitigation & adaptation
- Protecting and restoring the biodiversity of Coffs Harbour
- Reducing storm water pollution, thus protecting our waterways and beaches
- Managing our water resources
- Reducing waste to landfill by improving and increasing recycling and composting.
Since 2007 15,362 students were directly engaged in environmental education activities and projects.
Teachers, students and families from across the Coffs Harbour LGA have been responsible for the establishment of vegetable gardens, sensory gardens and bush tucker gardens; bush revegetation and regeneration and habitat restoration including micro habitats. Tonnes of waste have been diverted from landfill through waste education projects and the establishment of green waste collection and composting systems across our education facilities in Coffs Harbour.
It is estimated that combined the 158 projects planted, installed, established or extended
- 3000+ trees, shrubs and seedlings
- 40+ nesting boxes
- 5 rain water tanks
- 65 compost systems
- 40 bush tucker trails
- 60 vegetable gardens
- Diverted 22,000+ tonnes of waste from landfill.
For ideas and opportunities for delivering a project in your school or centre, please join the Sustainable Schools Network.
For information about the program please contact the Sustainable Living Program Officer: elisabeth.nicolson@chcc.nsw.gov.au