If you're an educator interested in teaching your students about the environment and sustainability, developing sustainable strategies and taking action at your school or organisation, we can support you.
Environment Schools Bulletin
Stay up to date with programs and events by subscribing to our quarterly newsletter.
Brimbank Teachers Environment Network
Join the Brimbank Teachers Environment Network and participate in professional development workshops that will inspire you and other teachers to engage with students on environmental and sustainability issues.
The network meets twice a year. All are welcome including, school staff, educators, teacher aides and playgroup leaders – at no charge.
Contact our Environmental Education team at Environment@brimbank.vic.gov.au to join.
Watch our webinars
We've adapted our teacher professional development workshops into a series of webinars for teachers.
Contact our Environmental Education team at Environment@brimbank.vic.gov.au if you would like presentation slides of these webinars.
Education support
Our Environment Team can provide information and advice to help with your school or group’s environmental projects. Make an enquiry using our Environmental Education Request Form.
Schools Sustainability Resources
Biodiversity
- Learn about the precious and unique grassland reserves through our Be a Good Grassland Neighbour in Brimbank booklet. Also available in Vietnamese trở thành NGƯỜI HÀNG XÓM TỐT CỦA ĐỒNG CỎ TẠI BRIMBANK and Cantonese 與 Brimbank 草場睦鄰 而處.
- Book at no charge our amazing Volcano Dreaming 12 panel panorama. It'll help you teach your students about the complex biodiversity of the Western Volcanic Plains.
- Junior Landcare Learning Centre: 30 minute curriculum-aligned activities for all ages.
- Sustainable Gardening in Brimbank: a free local plant species guide to help with habitat gardening and weed identification.
- Citizen science: Aussie Backyard Bird Count, Frog Census, Platypus Census.
- Museum’s Victoria’s free Field Guide app: explore and identify Victoria’s unique wildlife.
- Common Birds of Brimbank
- Ecolinc: Offers onsite, outreach and field trip programs for Foundation to Year 12, and teacher PDs
- Brimbank Schools Sustainability Biodiversity Resources: Foundation - Year 2, Year 3 - 4, Year 5 - 6
- Biodiversity of Brimbank: PowerPoint
Climate and Energy
- Find out about the climate emergency through independent media, the Bureau of Meteorology, Monash Climate Change Communication Research Hub and the Climate Council
- Fight for Planet A: Our Climate Challenge, 3-part series including energy, transport and food. Other resources include Fight for Planet A Action Toolkit, Community Solutions Plan and Carbon Counter
- Australian Youth Climate Coalition Resources
- Solar Schools: includes teachers toolkit and knowledge bank (Years 1-12) with school resources on solar power, sustainable transport, renewable energy and more.
- Sustainability Victoria’s ResourceSmart schools energy module: (Foundation – Year 6) curriculum links, “how to” guides and a checklist for improving energy efficiency in Victorian schools.
- Brimbank Schools Sustainability Energy Resources: Foundation - Year 2, Year 3 - 4, Year 5 - 6
- Brimbank Schools Sustainability Resources: The Story of Energy: PowerPoint
Sustainable Systems
- The Little Leaflet: Sign up for monthly environment event updates that the whole community can enjoy.
- Seedlings in schools program: The Dame Phyllis Frost Women’s Centre has a fully-functional nursery and vegetable seedlings are available to schools at no charge. Interested primary, secondary and early learning centres are able to apply, to express an interest register here.
- ClimateClever initiative measures and can reduce your schools carbon and environmental impact, including curriculum links and action-learning.
- ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic Schools: a program developed to help schools and their communities become more sustainable, including an online learning hub.
- Environmental Education Victoria: become a ResourceSmart School and get a dedicated facilitator to work with your school on your sustainability actions.
- My Smart Garden: sign up for a live sustainable gardening webinar, view a completed webinar, check out our free resources, subscribe to our Enewsletter and join our My Smart Garden community.
- Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden: advice and support on building a kitchen garden at school.
- Cool Australia: high quality educational materials including units of work and lesson plans that are learning ‘recipes’ for teachers to follow.
- CERES: The Sustainability Hub has loads of teaching resources and is a great place to connect, share school stories and learn what’s happening in the sustainable education space.
- Sustainable travel: check out Brimbank’s current bike paths and trails on Google Maps
- Walk to school resources. Check out the strategies to encourage active travel to school booklet.
- Brimbank Schools Sustainability Sustainable Systems Resources: Foundation - Year 2, Year 3 - 4, Year 5 - 6
- Brimbank Schools Sustainability Resources, Sustainable Systems: PowerPoint
Factsheet: Growing food at school
Waste and Recycling
- Composting in schools program: Council is committed to assisting our school community to move towards zero waste. Composting at school is a great way to decrease your waste, reduce your carbon footprint and make rich soil and fertiliser to grow healthy gardens. Council provides a range of discounted composting products to schools who wish to co-purchase them. Contact environment@brimbank.vic.gov.au for more information
- Recycling bins in schools program: Each school in Brimbank is entitled to a maximum of 10 recycling bins, the first 6 are provided at no charge and additional bins attract a one-off bin purchase and delivery fee, to find out more email environment@brimbank.vic.gov.au.
- Nude Food Lunchboxes, Nude Food Day and recipes
- Sustainability Victoria’s ResourceSmart waste module has “how to” guides, waste audit information and (Foundation-Year 6) curriculum links.
- Planet Ark – recycling information, recycled products directory, and how to set up a recycling system at school.
- Donate, sell or give away your unwanted e-waste like computers and mobile phones
- Drop off batteries, paint, motor oil, gas cylinders, e-waste, cardboard packaging and clean paper at our Resource Recovery Centre in Keilor
- Polystyrene packaging drop off facilities.
- Recycle soft plastics like bread and pasta bags by taking them to a redcycle supermarket drop off point.
- Take your clothing and shoes to your nearest second-hand store, charity bin or drop off location.
- Check out Brimbank’s recycling webpage for all the latest information.
- Why not get your school involved in a Garage Sale Trail?
- Brimbank Schools Sustainability Waste and Recycling Resources Foundation - Year 2, Year 3 - 4, Year 5 - 6
- Brimbank Schools Sustainability Resources, The Story of Waste and Recycling: PowerPoint
Factsheets: Composting at school; Recycling at school
Water
- Australian Water Association Online Learning Festival features live events, Storytime videos, mindfulness, STEM experiments and more.
- Schools Water Efficiency Program (SWEP): Find leaks, save water and promote water education in your school.
- City West Water: classroom incursions, Do-It-Yourself presentations, curriculum resources and downloadable classroom worksheets.
- Water Watch: a community engagement program connecting you with river health, and water sustainability and management.
- Melbourne Water: Browse learning resources by year level (Foundation-Year 10) and explore resources by curriculum area. Check out Melbourne Water’s feature programs and resources including; River Detectives, Western Treatment Plant virtual tour and Drip Trip: the game.
- Water management learn about water supply, storage and use in Brimbank and how we can use water more efficiently.
- Sustainability Victoria’s ResourceSmart water module has “how to” guides, water audit information and (Foundation-Year 6) curriculum links.
- Brimbank Schools Sustainability Water Resources: Foundation - Year 2, Year 3 - 4, Year 5 - 6
- Brimbank Schools Sustainability Resources, The Story of Water: PowerPoint