Create you future.

Sustainability

Inspiration, Action, Innovation, Connection

The college is committed to embedding sustainability principles across the college activities. We are signatories to the internationalTalloires declarationon campus sustainability. We have won awards for our innovative and holistic approach to sustainability. 

We Aim To

  • Improve eco literacy so people can understand and critically engage with the issues at work and at home 
  • Encourage people to actively participate in effective action 
  • Give adults real practical skills and motivation to lower their carbon footprints 
  • To improve local food security through up skilling people in local organic food growing 
  • Our education is based on the Principles of Education for Sustainability 

Building & Operations

  • In 2010 the College opened the retrofitted Mullumbimby Campus, which recycled an old energy depot building. The passive solar design of our main campus building saves energy and water and provides a very pleasant learning space for our students.
  •  We have solar hot water and a 30kw grid interactive photovoltaic system, and a small herb tea and fruit garden. We have planting raised beds in the courtyard with natives and edibles.

Watch the video here about the College and our energy efficiency projects.

Encouraging Sustainable Behaviours  

  • We have an extensivesustainability policyand encourage sustainable behaviours through orientation, signage and class discussions.  
  • We run courses in partnership with theMullumbimby Community Gardenand our students undertake projects at the garden  

Local Learning, Regional Impact, Global Significance  

  • We have a wide range of sustainability oriented courses from short taster workshops to longer courses. This includes hands on education in energy efficiency, food growing, composting, tours of sustainable communities and houses, chemical free bush regeneration, energy efficient house design and many other topics. All teachers and facilitators are passionate and committed sustainability practitioners themselves. The program changes from term to term so keep checking to see whats on offer by clickinghere 
  • Permaculture Certificate III:Our accredited Permaculture program provides Certificate III & IV level qualifications. Students are undertaking practical projects in backyards, community gardens, schools, farms and other community initiatives  
  • We have recently added the Permaculture Design Course to our list, for more information on this clickhere 
  • We embed sustainability learning into our VET programs and provide professional development in sustainability skills for our tutors  
  • We provide professional development in a range of sustainability topics such as Understanding Education for Sustainability. If you want training contact us to discuss your needs

Resources  

We undertake research and community outreach projects to foster the skills, knowledge and motivation for sustainable living and working  

  • 2013:TheSustainability for Educatorsbook and e book was published in 2013 with support from Skills for the Carbon Challenge Project of the federal Department of Innovation  
  • Read a review of the book in the ALA Quest magazinehere.  

A Toolkit of Learning Activities and Resources  

A Toolkit of Learning Activities and Resources 

Authors:Katrina Shields and Lisa Hoggard 
ISBN:978-0-9923127-1-8 
$39.95 per copy
If you would like to purchase a copy please call us on 02 6684 3374 or email us at admin@byroncollege.org.au
TAFE SAP Vendor Number: 4102597
If you live overseas and would like to purchase a copy please contact us at admin@byroncollge.org.au 
© Text:Byron Region Community College Inc 2013 
© Cartoons:Phil Somerville© 2013www.somervillecartoons.com
Cover and layout design:Selina Stockini 
Permission to reproduce individual sections of the material is freely given for educational purposes but source must be acknowledged. 
For organisations wanting bulk electronic licencing arrangements please emailadmin@byroncollege.org.aufor a copy of the licencing agreement.  

A Toolkit of Learning Activities and Resources  

Education needs to be ahead of the curve to be most useful. Never was there a more pressing time to create the skills, capacity and motivation to empower people of all ages to assume responsibility for creating a sustainable future and to prepare them for a low-carbon economy.  

Sustainability for Educators: A Toolkit of Learning Activities and Resources is an engaging and accessible collection of teaching/learning resources designed to catalyse this transformative education. It is essential reading for educators wanting to embed skills for sustainability into learning and professional development programs.  

Of value to teachers, trainers and facilitators from vocational training organisations, universities, secondary schools, communities and business organisations, this resource will also provide great inspiration for campuses and businesses in planning and implementing sustainability changes.  

 The Toolkit Provides:  

  • Succinct sustainability concepts  
  • Strong grounding in the principles of Education for Sustainability (EfS)  
  • 80 practical EfS learning activities with tips, participant hand-outs and facilitator resources  
  • Inspiring case studies of sustainability in action  
  • Great cartoons  
  • Signposts to the latest resources.  

Reviews  

“Terrific. A treasure chest of pretty much everything you wanted to know about sustainability education, in one place. Somehow the authors have kept it informative and accessible, attractive and at the same time substantial. Well written, well organised, and well – what are you waiting for?”Professor Stephen Sterling, Head of Sustainability Education, Centre for Sustainable Futures, Plymouth University, UK. 

“Engaging, practical, accessible and essential – an invaluable how-to resource for all educators. The authors convey an important message; our planet needs new ways of thinking and doing, teaching and learning. As educators, we can start here…”Gitanjali Bedi, Project Manager/Teacher, Capacity Building in Sustainability for Educators, National Centre for Sustainability, Swinburne University of Technology 

“From the start, the message that comes through clearly is that this is a comprehensive piece of work and, unlike many instances where a broad territory is to be covered, the work provides the reader with substantial detail. The authors recognise that a range of terms are used in connection with education and sustainability, but quickly identify their terminology and, importantly, set out their own perspectives and values that have guided their thinking and writing. From this the authors provide a strong emphasis on taking a personal and humanist approach, rather than a technical or managerial approach, to considering change possibilities.”Ian Thomas, Environmental Policy lecturer, RMIT University Melbourne reviewing the Toolkit in the Australian Journal of Environmental Education, Vol 20(2), Dec. 2014To read the full review clickhere