At Kilbreda, sustainability is embedded in the way we operate each day. We have implemented a range of practical initiatives, including Fairtrade coffee and tea in staff areas, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, LED lighting across all buildings, rainwater tanks, and solar panels incorporated into new builds.
ResourceSmart School
Through the ResourceSmart Schools Program, sustainability is embedded across our College community – in our classrooms, our operations and our culture. We are committed to reducing our use of electricity, water and other resources, minimising waste, and protecting Indigenous plants and wildlife. Just as importantly, we seek to actively engage students, families and our wider community in this shared responsibility.
Planting the Seed Program
The Planting the Seed Project is a collaborative initiative between Eco Warriors Australia, Ecology and Restoration Australia, Kingston Council and Kilbreda College. Supported by a $7,300 grant from the Port Phillip Bay Fund, approximately $5,000 from Junior Landcare, and donated supplies from Mitre 10 Cheltenham, the project provides the expertise and materials needed to make a meaningful impact.
Through this initiative, our students are restoring degraded native vegetation along the Mentone Foreshore. In doing so, they are developing a deeper understanding of biodiversity, ecological restoration and the practical actions required to protect and enhance our local environment.
Learning Outcomes
Students have developed skills in identifying native flora and fauna and explored how plants adapt and compete within coastal environments. This learning has been framed within a broader understanding of the threats facing our coastline and the practical actions young people can take to conserve and enhance local biodiversity.
Throughout the project, students have also deepened their understanding of the cultural significance of native plants and animals, learning about their traditional uses and stories. Sustainability has remained a strong focus, with students collecting recycled materials for plant propagation to minimise waste and strengthen their awareness of responsible environmental practices.
Laudato Si’ Goals
Kilbreda College is adopting the Laudato Si’ goals as our framework to guide our actions for both social and environmental justice.
Laudato Si’ is an encyclical written by Pope Francis in May 2015. Translated as ‘praise be to you’, the encyclical is a letter that addresses catholic communities worldwide. Pope Francis focuses on the social and ecological crisis that exists in our world today and what we can do to ensure we preserve our planet for future generations.
In the encyclical, Pope Francis emphasises our responsibility to respond to both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. This year, our community has chosen to focus on:
Goal 2: Response to the cry of the poor
Goal 4: Adoption of sustainable lifestyles
Foreshore Program
Since 2004, several of our Year 8 students visit the Mentone Foreshore monthly to participate in the ‘Foreshore Program’. During their time in the program, the students learn valuable information from the City of Kingston in regard to cleaning and preserving the foreshore for the many people that utilise it and the wild and sea life who inhabit it. The sessions include removing rubbish and planting indigenous vegetation. It is a very rewarding program for students to see the many thriving plants, planted by students before them and the positive impact that they are making.
Sustainability Group
We have an active and passionate Sustainability Group here at the College. Each year, Student Leaders are elected from each year level. Their role is to promote awareness of environmental and sustainability issues both locally and globally, and to encourage actions that result in more sustainable use of resources.