Sustainable Living Competition
What is it?
How do I find
it?
The Sustainable Living Competition
Street: Room M001, Mezzanine Level, Faculty of the Built Environment
The University of New South Wales, Gate 14, Barker Street, Kensington,
Sydney, NSW, 2052
Phone: 02 9385 4979 OR 02 9385 4916
Fax: 02 9385 6735
Email: SLP@fbe.unsw.edu.au
http://www.sustainableliving.com.au 
Who runs it?
- The
Sustainable Living Competition is run by the team of education and
sustainability professionals at the Sustainable Living Project (the
education outreach unit of the Faculty of the Built Environment at
the University of New South Wales)
- In the past the programme partnered with industry, such as AGL,
it has now evolved as a leading education initiative that focuses
primarily on supporting teaching and learning in secondary schools.
The programme is fully funded by the Faculty of the Built Environment,
and looks to sponsors to provide in-kind prizes for the annual Awards
Ceremony.
- In 2005 the programme will support the United Nations Decade
of Education for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific (2005 – 2014)
How much will
it cost?
- Entry and participation is free
- Access to expert help and advice is also free
What's in
it for the students?
- Opportunity to get your ideas recognised at the
national level
- Prizes for individuals, their teachers and their schools totalling
over $20,000
- A way to gain recognition for outside school activities, such
as Duke of Edinburgh Award projects
- An improved understanding of sustainable living issues, and
how to create action at the local level – so you can get involved
today.
- Dynamic projects that draw on your creativity and ability to
think outside the square
- An understanding of the importance of persistence, experimentation,
lateral thinking in developing solutions to complex problems
What do students
need to do?
- Explore their own lifestyle, their school, or
their home for challenges to their sustainable living.
- Consider how they may be able to develop a solutions to that
challenge, and the skills and motivation to take action.
- Entries can come from any subject area including Science, Design
and Technology, Geography, Agriculture, Visual Arts, Media Studies etc.
- Entries from previous years have included ecotoursim resort
designs, renewable energy projects, a biodegradable pot plant holder,
research and investigation into water quality, a sustainable gym, recycled
furniture and planning an environmental conference.
- First identify a problem, research it, develop ideas and possible
solutions, explore their ideas with drawings and models etc, test the
ideas, improve the ideas, and then present the finalised idea in a captivating
way.
How are the
projects judged?
| PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
20% |
SUSTAINABILITY 40% |
DESIGN 20% |
COMMUNICATION 20% |
| Identification of an environmental problem
or sustainability issue |
Understanding of the issue in relation
to sustainability and sustainable living |
Concept/ strategy:
how creative/innovative is the concept/approach? |
Documentation of design (use of drawings,
models etc) |
| Understanding of the problem |
Displays critical thinking about their
issue and the challenge of creating a sustainable human society.
|
Design Development & Resolution: How
well does it address the problem? |
Ability to communicate idea: Clarity &
completeness (written/visual). |
| Explores range of potential causes |
Displays a holistic understanding of social,
cultural, political, global issues, causes and contexts. |
Functionality/ ergonomics/design context |
Presentation: creativity & clarity:
overall impact of the presentation. |
| Research & validation |
Makes links between issue and lifestyle,
culture and behaviour/action/decisions. |
Practicality as an aid to sustainable living.
|
Communicates a personal learning journey. |
What's in
it for teachers?
- A
valuable incentive for your students to actively
learn about the environment and broader concepts of sustainability,
citizenship and leadership;
- Be a part of a national network of young people,
their teachers and their schools actively creating a sustainable future;
- A framework for an engaging unit of work adaptable
to most syllabus objectives and key learning areas;
- Certificates from the University of New
South Wales for all participating
students to recognise their learning and contribution;
- A recognition programme for outstanding student, sustainable
school, environmental and community projects;
- A highly adaptable potential cross curricular programme
that facilitates enquiry-based learning;
- Can assist in implementation of state level Sustainable
Schools Policy;
- Assists in curriculum aspects of school-based Environmental
Management Plans;
- Free telephone support and advice
to assist with the integration of the programme into your existing units
of work;
- Free online resources and referral for
specialist requests;
- A peer support email network for
all registered teachers;
- There is also over $20 000 worth of prizes to be
won for students, their teachers and their schools for outstanding
work.
Don’t be put off if you do not think your students are potential
winners. The recognition that is given to winners is just only one
aspect of the programme. The Sustainable Living Competition is designed
to challenge thinking, stimulate interest and encourage action. We
award a range of certificates to recognise that every effort entered
in the programme deserves credit. That is, it is the process of involvement
and the experience of action that are the key components of the programme.
Successful projects are those that engage students in solutions-based
thinking, and empower students with the confidence of having created
a solution to the problem.
|
