Volunteers needed : Sunshine Coast Kids in Action Conference 29 – 30 August 2012

The Sunshine Coast Kids in Action conference during Australia Post
Kids Teaching Kids Week is coming up soon and we are looking for
environmentally conscious people who would like to be involved in
volunteering at the event.  The conference is a two day event – held
at Lake Kawana Community Centre and Cahill Scrub Bushland Reserve at
Peachester. Dates are Wednesday 29th and Thursday 30th August.


Volunteer roles required:
·        Workshop Group Leaders – Wednesday 29th August (Lake Kawana
Community Centre) – lead an audience group (of about 30 students and
teachers) to Kids Teaching Kids workshop presentations – 6  required.
·        Workshop Support Staff – Wednesday 29th August  (Lake Kawana
Community Centre) - allocated to one of the workshop venues & to
support presenting schools – 6 required
·        Environmental Projects Day (EPD) Group Leaders – Thursday
30th August – lead an audience  group (of about 20 students and
teachers) during Environmental Projects Day activities – 12 required.

We have attached a description of the three volunteer roles for more
information. Volunteers who attend will receive: our thanks and
gratitude; a conference Tshirt & hat; meals provided and bus transport
to and from  Peachester (from Lake Kawana Community Centre) if you are
a EPD Group Leader. You will be required to attend a briefing session
with Karen Shaw on the morning of your volunteering day. You are very
welcome to volunteer on both days. You will need a blue card.

We hope you can join us for this inspiring event!

Warm regards,
Karen Shaw & Clare Kilter
Sunshine Coast Kids in Action Conference
29 – 30 August 2012
Coordinators
Brush Turkey Enterprises
p: 07 5494 3642
m: 0427 607 628
e: nursery@brushturkey.com.au
w: brushturkey.com.au

Examining sustainability education for teaching students

Use the link below to open up the recent Sunshine Coast Qld article featuring Associate Professor Deborah Heck, and her work collecting data for a report on the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005 - 2014)

(cut and paste this link into your web browser)

 http://readnow.mediamonitors.com.au/Temp/25987621/148555514.pdf

AAEE visit to Queensland Education Resources Expo (QUEDREX) Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre 8 & 9 September 2012

Queensland Education Resources Expo (QUEDREX) will be held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on 8 & 9 September 2012. The QUEDREX, now in it’s 5th year, is a free admission event, providing AAEE members with the opportunity to address some of the Professional Standards required for registration renewal under the Queensland College of TeachersContinuing Professional Development Framework. In addition, visitors to the event will have access to leading suppliers of school, classroom and curriculum resources and seminars covering key issues within the education sector. AAEE members are invited to meet up at QUEDREX Saturday 8th September at 1pm.  A meeting space with tea and coffee facilities can be organised for us, upon request prior to the event (subject to availability) if we have members who are interested - email Jo Kelly at aaeeqld@gmail.com by July 1st. Alternatively, members are welcome to attend QUEDREX as individuals. Visit the website www.quedrex.com.au to register your interest in attending the event. A free ticket will be sent to you upon completion of the online registration. Join our Facebook page www.facebook.com/quedrex for updates on the exhibitor list, presentation sessions, exhibitor special offers and competitions. Should you have any questions do not hesitate to contact our office. Kind Regards, Renee Gardner Event Assistant

E-mail: interchange@onthenet.com.au www.careersevent.com | www.tsxpo.org | www.quedrex.com.au

Save Sustainability Education in NSW

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Save Sustainability Education in NSW Urgent action required

Dear Sustainability Education Friends, We need to rally around to Save Sustainability Education in NSW. Last week the NSW Department of Education and Communities (DEC) announced it was removing support for sustainability education at the State level, and with the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) showing little concern for the future direction of sustainability education in NSW it is time we asked the sustainability and environmental education community in NSW to tell the government that our concerns should be listened to. Please take a few minutes this morning to write a letter to the Education and/or Environment Minister, expressing your strong support for sustainability education in NSW. Also please sign the online petition to Premier Barry O’Farrell which will only take a few moments (see link below). Key points to consider including in your letter: Australian Curriculum Implementation with the sustainability cross curriculum theme will require significant professional learning and resource development support coordinated at a State level NSW will not be able to give co-ordinated support to sustainability educators in DEC and all schools, or meet NSW 2021 Plan targets relating to sustainability and other DEC commitments NSW without a clear direction forward for Sustainability Education in NSW shows a lack of leadership and understanding of the future needs to create local sustainable communities The Premier must take urgent action to restore his government’s credibility on environmental matters You can email or send your letters to Minister Piccoli (NSW Minister for Education) and/or Minister Parker (NSW Minister for Environment and Heritage): Mr Adrian Piccoli, MP Level 34 Governor Macquarie Tower 1 Farrer Place SYDNEY NSW 2000 Email:  office@piccoli.minister.nsw.gov.au Ms Robyn Parker, MP Level 32 Governor Macquarie Tower 1 Farrer Place SYDNEY NSW 2000 Email:   office@parker.minister.nsw.gov.au Please follow up your letter with an email or letter to the NSW Premier: Premier Barry O’Farrell, GPO Box 5341, Sydney NSW 2001 Email: premier@nsw.gov.au Information on this campaign Save Sustainability Education in NSW can be found on the AAEE NSW website www.aaeensw.org.au where links to published letters and other advice can be found. You may also like to sign the petition onwww.communityrun.org/petitions/save-sustainability-education. Thank you for your support on this important issue, and please pass this request on to all who are interested in the future of sustainability education in NSW. Yours sincerely, Sue Martin Executive Officer Australian Association for Environmental Education NSW Chapter treasurer@aaeensw.org.au

Your input needed - photo's for Julia's trip to Rio

Dear Jennifer,

This June - Prime Minister Gillard heads off to Rio de Janeiro for a special UN Earth Summit. World leaders will be discussing how to deal with all the environmental issues facing our planet.

This is the perfect moment for our PM to announce increased funding for sustainability in Australian schools. The Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative (AuSSI) is a fantastic program - but last year it had all its Federal Government funding cut. That’s right - all of it!

We know one of the most powerful ways to solve sustainability issues into the future is to educate our students today. Yet thousands of schools across the country will not have access to high-quality sustainability education unless funding for AuSSI is reinstated. 

We’re developing a photo petition to show Gillard and her Government that sustainability in schools does work - and we need you to submit photos of sustainability education in action.

Can you submit a photo of sustainability in action at a local school?

We’ll present these photos to Gillard right before the Rio Summit - to ensure she knows how powerful and popular it will be to reinstate AuSSI funding.

Imagine a diary filled with real stories of students learning about sustainability through energy audits, vegetable patches, reducing waste and saving water.

We’ve been talking to the Government and the Opposition and we’ve almost got them over the line - we just need to show them how popular the AuSSI program is - and that it works.

Add your photo to make sustainability education tangible for the Government.

With World Environment Day coming up on the 5th of June there should be lots of opportunities to capture the magic of sustainability education in your community or school.
Once the photo petition is finished, we will upload it to our website so you can download and share it. 

Thanks, 

Ahri Tallon and the AESA team, 

PS: We need you to help us collect pictures of sustainability education in action! Can you share this email and our website with anybody you know who works in sustainability education?