Queensland schools can gain free access to world-class environmental education resources provided through a unique partnership between Plastic Oceans Australasia (POA) and the Containers for Change scheme.
Any school in Queensland can register for the Wave of Change program, with 25 schools across the state to vie for prizes while receiving curriculum-mapped classroom resources and lesson plans.
The program, which is designed for students from Prep right through to Year 12, builds students’ knowledge on the impacts of plastics and the importance of recycling.
The schools that register will also be signing up to increase their recycling and fundraising efforts through the Containers for Change scheme that provides a 10-cent refund for every eligible beverage container returned to a refund point in Queensland.
Three of the 25 participating schools have the chance to win a $1000 JB Hi-Fi voucher to use at their school.
Yeronga State School in Brisbane’s south is just one school that experienced the benefits of the Wave of Change program in 2020.
“Our school really valued the education and support given by the Wave of Change program,”said Nicole Deayton, who helped facilitate the program at Yeronga State School.
“The classroom resources were extremely valuable in allowing our students to investigate our litter problem and develop solutions to make our school more sustainable.”
“The program boosted our recycling efforts through the educational materials provided and encouraged more families to donate containers from home.”
“We have now raised over $900 through this program which is being fed back into other sustainability initiatives at our school.”
“These initiatives have included purchasing paper straws for the tuckshop, providing tools and canvas bags for the school’s ‘Green Team Waste Warriors’, and the provision of a secure cage to house a native beehive.”
Ken Noye is the chief executive of Container Exchange, the not-for-profit organisation that administers the Containers for Change scheme.
He said the Wave of Change program provides benefits to both the students and the school community.
“With more than four billion containers already returned for refund by Queenslanders, the Containers for Change scheme has had a huge impact on reducing litter and encouraging recycling across the state,” said Mr. Noye.
“We want to expand this impact by increasing the knowledge of sustainability and recycling to students, while at the same time assisting their schools to raise important funds.”
Said POA’s Executive Director, Ricki Hersburgh: “We are delighted that the program continues to grow and expand across the state - behaviour change takes a long time to establish.”
Schools that register for the program will have free access to the resources over Terms 3 and 4 of the Queensland school year and need to submit a visual record of their use of the material and fundraising through the scheme.
The entries that show the most impact on the environment via the program will win a $1000 JB Hi-Fi voucher, with one prize awarded for each student age group of Prep - Year 2, Years 3 - 6 and Years 7-12.
To register for the Wave of Change program, visit https://containerexchange.com.au/wave-of- change-program/