Labor Member for Wendouree, Juliana Addison, is encouraging schools across Ballarat to enter the 2019 ResourceSmart Schools Awards.

ResourceSmart Schools is a free program offered by Sustainability Victoria that supports Victorian schools to promote sustainability across school facilities, school curriculums and the wider community.

Since 2008, the program has engaged more than 1,300 schools across the state to collectively save over $24 million dollars and avoid creating more than 60,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases.

Ms Addison said the ResourceSmart Schools Awards celebrate the efforts local students, teachers and parents are making to positively impact the environment in Ballarat.

“These awards are a great way to celebrate young Victorians and school communities who are coming up with practical ideas to reduce their environmental footprint, while also sharing these learnings beyond the school gate,” Ms Addison said.

“We’ve seen Ballarat students take on leadership roles giving them direct input into their school’s environmental plans. They should be very proud of their achievements,” she said.

The ResourceSmart Schools Awards recognise projects that are minimising waste, saving energy and water, increasing biodiversity and tackling climate change.

The Awards are Victoria’s largest sustainability awards program and are open to all Victorian government, independent and Catholic schools.

The 2019 Award categories are:

• ResourceSmart School of the Year
• Teacher of the Year (Primary/ Secondary)
• Community Leadership School of the Year (Primary/ Secondary)
• Student Action Team of the Year (Primary/ Secondary)
• Curriculum Leadership School of the Year (Primary/ Secondary)
• Campus Infrastructure School of the Year

Schools from across Ballarat have until Monday 1 April to enter at www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/schoolsawards