Overview

The Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative-WA (AuSSI-WA) is part of the national Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative developed by the Australian Government (Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities) in cooperation with State and Territory education and environment agencies, and other key organisations:

http://www.environment.gov.au/education/aussi/index.html

AuSSI-WA is a whole-school planning framework for Education for Sustainability (EfS) that has been developed 'by schools, for schools' in conjunction a with a broad range of organisations that provide support for schools in this area.

At present, most WA schools practise elements of sustainability/EfS through such areas as utilities management, bushland and dune protection activities, reconciliation and other social (student wellbeing) programs.

AuSSI-WA takes activity to the ‘next level’ by encouraging the use of sustainability as a/the key context for teaching and learning as part of a whole-school approach. The overarching goal of the initiative is to support schools to embed sustainability within their respective culture.

Participating schools are supported by a planning framework that enhances successful practice by developing a streamlined, coordinated approach. School communities are encouraged to reflect on their values as they create a shared vision for a sustainable future.

The initiative supports:

• meaningful, action-based learning tasks for students and teachers;
• opportunities to save money through effective resource management;
• access to a range of resources and an expanding support network;
• Promotion of schools’ EfS activities;
• curriculum development/implementation - teaching, learning and reporting, with explicit links to learning areas and core shared values within the WA Curriculum Framework;
• community partnerships;
• active, global citizenship - taking action for a cleaner, inclusive, bio-diverse world; and
• professional learning and networking opportunities.