EarthCheck's Sustainability Challenge

ECSchool

EarthCheck's Sustainability Challenge is a versatile program for school students to manage their household sustainability online. The program is designed for students in both primary and secondary education ranging from 10 - 14 years old, and provides a framework to assist teachers in this process. 

Originally developed in conjunction with the EPA, Gold Coast City Council and 13 Gold Coast Schools. The Sustainability Challenge is based on an interactive web-based program, with students using the EarthCheck benchmarking system to monitor and find the most effective way to reduce their use of energy, water and production of waste. With support from Singapore Polytechnic and the Banyan Tree Global Foundation, the user interface was enhanced in late 2011.

How Does the Program Work?

The Sustainability Challenge is designed with both students and teachers in mind and is delivered in the classroom allowing students to participate both at home and at school. Students enter their home energy, water and waste information from rates notices, energy bills and help from parents. This data is then evaluated using the EarthCheck system. The Sustainability Challenge also comes with a special toolset of checklists that monitors and evaluates special activities in relation to flora, fauna, air quality and material usage and their effect on the environment.

Testimonial

"The challenge facing all communities is to learn to live more sustainably… EarthCheck's Sustainabilty Challenge helped benchmark our city in terms of energy, water and waste. This information can now become a guide to household behaviour, which will help all levels of Government to improve their environmental-education programs."

Ron Clarke, Mayor,
Gold Coast City Council, Australia

Benefits of the Program

The Sustainability Challenge program supports the education of students in two key areas. It actively engages students in their environmental future and gives them an understanding of their impact and path to sustainability. The program makes environmental awareness a fun and interactive part of learning, in which the students can see their effects instantly.  

SchoolsCharacters

 

Guest contributor

J.M. DONELLAN is an author, musician, slam poet, teacher, traveller, voice actor and event manager. He was almost devoured by a tiger in the jungles of Malaysia, nearly died of a lung collapse in the Nepalese Himalayas and fended off a pack of rabid dogs with a guitar in the mountains of India. His children's fantasy novel has been recently released, Zeb and the Great Ruckus.

www.jmdonellan.com

twitter.com/jmdonellan

http://www.facebook.com/jmdonellan


tip

The savings made through the Sustainability Challenge include:

Reduced energy consumption by 1.8 million megajoules

Reduced water consumption by 16 million kilolitres

Reduced waste generation by over 800,000 cubic metres

That's an overall reduction in carbon dioxide production by 900,000 tonnes

That's equivalent to Gold Coast City with 92,000 fewer houses!