Offering Victorian schools, business and community groups the opportunity to demonstrate and promote their sustainability successes, Sustainability Victoria is encouraging schools to share their projects and stories through the 2019 Premier’s Sustainability Awards.
According to Sustainability Victoria, previous entrants in awards say that their involvement has led to better staff morale, improved profiling with their customers and stronger community relationships.
Recent research by Sustainability Victoria also reveals that entrants demonstrate increased energy efficiencies and reduced bills through their sustainability projects, as well as enjoying a range of other benefits by telling their stories through the Awards.
In 2018, the Awards finalist in the education category was Alert Park Pre-School for keeping its promise to Bunjil, a creator deity, to take care of the children and the land. In 2017, working in partnership with the City of Port Phillip, children, staff and families, the kinder installed solar panels, decreased water use by 64 per cent, electricity use by 24 per cent, gas use by 76 per cent and waste by 75 per cent.
Jenny Whelan, Administration Director at Albert Park Pre-School said, “Being part of the 2018 Premier’s Sustainability Awards was a very exciting time for our little kinder and a wonderful memory for everyone involved.
She said the entry process itself was very rewarding. “To capture and record the story of staff, children, families and community partners who work together to achieve our environmental sustainability goals was an inspiring undertaking,” she added.
Sustainability Victoria assists entrants throughout the nomination process, then finalists and winners are provided with media releases, social media graphics, professional photos and other promotional collateral.
“The promotional support we received from Sustainability Victoria in the lead up to the Awards ceremony helped us share our story in the hope of inspiring others to see our beautiful blue planet through the eyes of children who inherently know what we as adults can forget – that we are all at one with nature and we call all make a difference,” Ms Whelan added.
Sustainability Victoria CEO, Stan Krpan said that feedback from the 2018 finalists and winners demonstrated that the Awards’ process helped to improve engagement and marketing opportunities. “From the time they complete their entries through to the announcement of finalists, then at the prestigious ceremony to announce winners and beyond, entrants report a really positive experience,” he said.
“Now is the time for any group doing good sustainability work to highlight their sustainability through the Premier’s Sustainability Awards.”
Entries close at 5pm Thursday, 13 June 2019. For more information, please click here.
