coolmelbourne.org

Avoid facing slingshot-laden students in 2012! Make sure your school is registered for the Cool Australia Flagship Schools Program to take advantage of free access to our resources in whatever capacity you choose. Whether that be for your class, the whole school, one term, the entire year... You name the conditions and we supply the engaging activities and year round support.

We have had an overwhelming response with hundreds of schools already signed up to embed the Our Cool School resources into their school's curriculum. Presently we have approximately 60 positions remaining and we will be filling them on a first in, less stressed basis!

Australia’s educational program Our Cool School (OCS) brings sustainability and our environment into the classroom, providing teachers with engaging, fun and informative learning activities on a whole range of environmental topics.

The Story of Cool Australia, Flagship Schools from Cool Australia on Vimeo.

Learning activities are year level specific (years 1 to 10) and are linked to curriculum standards, including physical, personal and social learning. Discipline-based learning as well as interdisciplinary learning are also addressed. Complete units of work are supplied as print ready resources and can simply be downloaded from (OCS) and taken straight into the classroom.

Cool Australia has successfully completed its (OCS) Pilot Program in Victoria for 2011 with 10 participating primary and secondary schools. The results, compiled by Australian Council for Education Research (ACER), will be posted on our website to read towards the end of term four 2011.

For the 2012 school year we are offering 300 schools the unique opportunity to be involved with Cool Australia’s National Flagship School Program.

The Flagship School Program requires the participating school to use our sustainably focused learning activities on sustainability in the classroom, as little or as much as they like. As a teacher you can sign up on a class-by-class basis or the whole school can choose to use the program for a single term or the entire year.

Flexibility is the key! You are free to pick and choose activities that suit you and your students. There is no obligation to follow an entire module.

Cool Australia will provide individual support for you during the duration of the Flagship School Program.  

The OCS program is designed to compliment existing learning activities in a range of subjects as well as providing new ideas and inspiration to help your students work towards a sustainable future.

Click here to download the official letter of invitation

Schools who successfully register will:

- Be officially recognised as a Cool Australia Flagship School

- Have free access to all our online teacher resources and learning activities

- Have free access to our online support via email and 1300 853 810 phone support

- Be invited to join our annual Enviroweek campaign as part of the Cool Australia community

- Be invited to contribute to the ongoing teachers’ conversation on Facebook

On completion of the 2012 program Cool Australia will work with the assistance of ACER in conducting research to further measure the success of the Flagship School Program. All schools can access to these findings. Your school will be presented with a certificate of achievement.

How to register?

Please contact Lynn Freebairn on lynn@coolaustralia.org or Szilvia Csanyi on szilvia@coolaustralia.org or on 1300 853 810.

Enviroweek 2012, 20th - 24th August - save the date!

Enviroweek 2011 saw more than 58,000 registered students take on a green challenge with their classmates around Australia! We were overwhelmed with the enthusiastic responses and have set the date for our 2012 campaign. In 2011 students began veggie gardens, had nude food lunches, stopped Mum and Dad using the car and created awareness at their schools on how to live more sustainably. Lock in 20th - 24th August and get your students thinking about what green challenge they may take up. In 2012 we are preparing for more than 150,000 students to participate.

Our Cool School on facebook - join the conversation

Our facebook page is a platform to engage and connect teachers from around Australia who share a common interest in sustainability and how best to teach it within the context of the classroom. A hub for teachers to share and discuss ideas, best practices, pose questions and collaborate with others as part of the global movement to create a more sustainable future. Teaching should be a communal effort. Get involved and become a vocal part of your community! It’s for you! Find us at: www.facebook.com/OurCoolSchool

Our brand spanking new website

In our on-going quest for excellence we have recently conducted several focus groups with teachers who are users and non-users of our website to better provide what you require in the classroom. As a result we will begin the redevelopment of our website this month and will have it ready to launch in term two 2012.

Testimonials

“Every school should be using this program.”
The Education Show

“The best online environmental resource - *****”
News Limited

"One of the best sustainability resources I have found in my 30 years of teaching."
Bill Thomas - 2011 Prime Minister's Environmentalist of the Year, Head of Sustainable Practice Bentleigh Secondary College

"Cool Australia is a great source of educational material, professionally done. The work is inspiring!"
Lachlan Marrow – Student at Christian College Geelong

“I would highly recommend www.ourcoolschool.org as an essential information source to all teachers.”
Thea Nicholas – Brentwood Secondary College

Jason’s passion for the environment and examples of living in the most sustainable way possible were very real for the students and the Cool Australia and Our Cool School websites gave us ample opportunity to follow up the session and further our knowledge in this vitally important area."
Lindy McManus – Beaumaris Primary School

“Sustainability is a core value at Eltham College and the Our Cool School website and learning modules are helping us ensure that we continue our commitment to teaching our young people about how to live more sustainable lifestyles. By providing accessible and engaging resources, Our Cool School helps us fuel students’ desire for positive action on the environment across the whole curriculum."
Megan Shiels – Eltham College of Education