ResourceSmart Schools is a Victorian Government program that helps schools benefit from embedding sustainability in everything they do, and take action on climate change.

http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/services-and-advice/schools

Open Space Forum held at Gippsland campus of Federation University

Attendees seen here at the Open Space forum  on Thursday 10th April 2014 during the opening session where rules for the day were being set for discussions around the topic “Creating a Sustainable Gippsland. What are the Issues and Opportunities?”

This forum was held on April 10th 2014   in the student lounge at Federation University Gippsland by RCE Gippsland (Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development Gippsland). 42 participants from many walks of life from 4 Gippsland Shires took part. RCE Gippsland is one of 127 centres under United Nations’ auspices throughout the world and one of 4 in Australia. “Education” is accepted to be formal, informal and non-formal. A diverse group of Gippsland community members participated. The open space format enabled individuals to raise topics and join groups that formed around these topics. The afternoon session changed from discussion to action planning.

The morning’s discussion topics selected by participants were

Sustainability Education 

Is sustainability achievable within a minefield?

Can Strategies be defined that assist in promoting and running successful Sustainability Education and Training?

A coordinated approach to school and community gardens in Latrobe

Solar Heating / hot water

Sustainability of Public Land

Community Power (Energy Market)

Permaculture – Plants and Animals in the school curriculum

Biodiversity and Environment Education

The future of Gippsland lies in large scale energy gen via renewables.

People in Gippsland have the skills and knowledge to use healthy & local produce.

Transitioning LV away from reliance on coal and changing people’s perceptions on the need for fossil fuels

Making Morwell a swinging seat (or marginal seat)

Connecting local food with local people for resilience, community, connectivity

How do we encourage & support individuals to take sustainable actions in their homes and livelihoods?

The Afternoon’s Action Planning Topics

 Engaging Federation University and TAFE’s in Gippsland Sustainability

 Sustainable local food for local people

 Mobilizing opportunities for Education for Sustainable Development

 Transitioning the economy of the Latrobe Valley away from Coal

 Sustainability Plan for Gippsland

Action planning groups formed and aim to pursue actions identified. RCE Gippsland aspires to further collaborate with Federation University by engaging all levels of formal, non-formal and informal education in RCE activities; by engaging with other RCE’s, by including research in RCE activities and by contributing to the transformation of the current education and training systems to satisfy ambitions of the region regarding sustainable living and livelihood

Click here to view a newspaper article about this event.The Express article

An Open Space Forum was held also on Wednesday 3 April, 2013 at the Orbost Exhibition Centre, 8 Clark Street Orbost. 4.30pm to 9.30pm. Light supper and an opportunity to develop local solutions for sustainable East Gippsland communities and connect local action was provided..

What is an Open Space Forum? Open Space Forums provide a market place for emerging topics raised by participants and is suited to complex problems requiring innovation, problem solving, creativity, teamwork and rapid change. Passion and responsibility are at the heart of the Open Space approach. Come along – It’s different. RSVP by Wednesday 27 March Ashley Hall email ashley.hall@dse.vic.gov.au or phone 0439 574 508

What is RCE Gippsland? Regional Centres of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development (RCEs) are a global network of formal and non formal education organisations that seek to empower people of all ages to assume responsibility for creating a sustainable future through public awareness and understanding, access to quality basic education, reorientating existing education and providing training programmes for all sectors. RCEs aspire to achieve the goals of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development ( DESD, 2005-2014) by translating its global objectives into the context of the local communities in which they operate.