Sustainable Schools

For four-year-old kindergarten groups

We run fast, fun and free incursion sessions for four-year-old kinder groups - highlighting the importance of waste and recycling through games and visual elements. These sessions are delivered by experienced facilitators and aim to build foundation knowledge in the recyclers of the future.

• Aligns with the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework
• No extra work for educators
• Fun, interactive and educational
• Encourage family conversations about waste, recycling and the environment

To register your interest please email us at enviro@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au

Your school is invited to learn about our incredible local species and their unique habitat at a free, fun-filled and educational day at Werribee Open Range Zoo. The excursion is designed to broaden student knowledge on local environment, Indigenous and sustainability issues. The program also empowers students to look at how their local community can reduce environmental impact and limit threats to endangered species and habitats.

SESSION OUTLINE

Includes free buses from your school to the zoo and back. Dates for 2025 are still to be confirmed.

On the day students will be engaged to:

• foster a greater understanding and appreciation of Hobsons Bay’s endangered species

• gain knowledge on local environment, Indigenous and sustainability issues

• look at positive actions we can take as individuals and as a community to lessen our environmental impact and reduce threats to endangered species and habitats.

To be involved in the Love Your Locals excursion, we require some class preparation including:

• Class attendance to an online webinar in Term 3

• Class response to a specific question about creating safe habitats for animals. The response could be a model, poetry, artwork, song, play, poster, digital presentation or any other creative format to highlight how green and wildlife friendly the western region could look in the future.

To express your interest please click HERE.

To learn more please email us at sustainability@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au

For Prep through to Grade 6

We offer Council-funded incursions to local primary schools right throughout the year. These curriculum-aligned incursions are designed to be easy for teachers and schools to accommodate. It is a free service, so all local schools can participate. Most importantly, it’s a really fun, feel-good way to engage kids and families in recycling and building connections to our local environment.

• Linked to the Victorian curriculum (technology and society, science, geography)
• No extra work for teachers
• Tailored to suit year level
• Fun, interactive and educational
• Encourage family conversations about waste, recycling and the environment 
• Promotion for local schools

"We had just started a conservation unit in inquiry learning and this was a fabulous introduction for our students. The mixture of learning, activities and movement were perfectly targeted to this age group. The presenters were kind and informative, encouraging students to think and take control of resources used in school. The lovely bonus for the students was being able to take a magnet home to continue using the information learnt beyond the incursion and into their everyday lives."
Teacher, Altona College – 2023

To register your interest please click HERE. 

For secondary school students 

Across one week in Term 2, Council offers waste and recycling education sessions to local secondary schools, aligning with World Environment Day (June 5). 

In these 45-minute sessions, students learn what goes in each bin, and the journey our waste takes beyond the bin. The structure includes a presentation complemented by a variety of engaging, age-appropriate activities.

• Linked to the Victorian curriculum (science, design and technologies)
• No extra work for teachers
• Tailored to suit year level
• Fun, interactive and educational
• Encourage family conversations about waste, recycling and the environment

What teachers have said about the program: 

• “It was amazing. Engaging. Lovely presenter.”

• “Lots of engagement from students and inspired critical thinking and questioning. A very informative session that taught the students (and teachers) some great ways to deal with waste.”

• “My students enjoyed the mix and match organising activity. Good balance for this age group of screen, pen and paper, sorting and discussion.”
  
  

Please note: Bookings must be made by 5pm, Wednesday 30 April 2025, however all spots may be filled prior to this date.

To book in for the 2025 program please click here.

Students explore electricity production impacts on climate change, and consider alternative ways people can contribute to a sustainable future. They learn about systemic change concepts and ways to advocate for a just and healthy planet.

NO ADDITIONAL WORK FOR TEACHERS

Sessions are delivered by experienced facilitators. We provide all materials and required resources – teachers have the option to participate or simply supervise.  

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Explain what climate change is and the effects it has on our environment
• Identify the major global systems that are contributing to climate change
• Discuss actions they can take on an individual level to create positive futures and how this ties into collective action
• Students can generate unique solutions to questions related to current energy practices in Australia
  
  

PLEASE NOTE: Schools can book a minimum of two sessions and maximum of four sessions, to be delivered on the one day.

Limited places available so please book in early to avoid missing out.

HOW TO BOOK:

Please visit Ceres School of Nature and Climate and follow the prompts to register your interest. We will contact you to confirm your booking.

CSIRO’s Creativity in Research, Engineering, Science and Technology (CREST) program helps school students build science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) skills through a non-competitive awards program.

Leading students and teachers through the inquiry continuum, the CREST program includes an exciting range of hands-on STEM activities and suggestions for classroom use.

Designed to spark curiosity and deepen understanding, these interactive activities are perfect for classroom learning, spanning the structured, guided and open-inquiry levels.

Each introductory level activity comes complete with detailed instructions, including risk assessment, student recording sheets, and a list of items needed for a seamless setup.

All students who complete the inquiry will receive CSIRO award recogniiton.

Hobsons Bay City Council in partnership with the CSIRO are offering all schools in the Hobsons Bay region free access to the program for 2025.

To learn more and register to CREST, visit the CREST website. Give the CREST team a call on 1800 626 646 (free of charge) if you prefer to have a chat or would like some assistance with registering your school.