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An Australian Story: School Sustainability Education in the Lucky Country

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 March 2012

Zarin Salter ,
Grady Venville  and
Nancy Longnecker
Zarin Salter*
Affiliation:
University of Western Australia
Grady Venville
Affiliation:
University of Western Australia
Nancy Longnecker
Affiliation:
University of Western Australia
*
†Address for correspondence: Zarin Salter, PhD Candidate, Graduate School of Education, The University of Western Australia, M428, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

This paper documents a case study involving a Perth primary school accompanied on its sustainability journey by Millennium Kids Inc, a local not-for-proft community organisation. Tension between the school's sustainability focus, its prestige as an elite private school and a “lucky country” mentality frames the Australian-ness of this environmental education story. Data draws from interviews conducted with teachers, the deputy principal, principal, and CEO of Millennium Kids. School staff reported that Millennium Kids' collaborative approach connected the school with community groups and families in meaningful ways, provided support to staff, and infuenced curriculum integration by engaging the student voice. Challenges in the school related to managing expectations from families, leadership that fosters shared responsibility, and teachers' efforts to integrate sustainability across learning areas. A pattern of sustainability education was established in the school but these challenges could encumber the longevity, integration and support for these initiatives in the future.

Keywords

environmental educationMillennium Kidssustainability facilitation
Type
Research/Practice Articles
Information
Australian Journal of Environmental Education , Volume 27 , Issue 1: Special Issue: The “ness” of Environmental Education , 2011 , pp. 149 - 159
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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