The Sustainable Living Expo (SLEX) 2011 Education Festival, or EdFest, is shaping up to include a wide range of school-focussed sustainability workshops and activities.
“EdFest 2011 is designed to meet school curriculum learning outcomes for students from primary through to high school,” said Sewa Emojong, EdFest Coordinator. “A range of workshops and activities are now confirmed, though we are still seeking more willing contributors.”
Friday 21 October is dedicated to schools who can book in students to attend, free of charge. The official program starts at 9.30am through to 2.30pm to fit within a normal school day. Workshops will run for 30 or 60 minutes to ensure a vibrant and engaging program.
Four streams of interactive workshops are planned to match curriculum needs as follows:
- Kinder to Year 3: general awareness of sustainability,
- Year 4 to 6: building awareness to include biodiversity, gardening,
- Year 7 to 9: the importance of sustainability, ways and means to be sustainable,
- Year 10 to 12: leadership and knowledge to make smart decisions for sustainability.
“Schools are also invited to showcase their skills in sustainability,” added Ms Emojong. “PLC Armidale and The Armidale School are two schools which have confirmed to date and we are very keen to hear from others.”
A substantial range of community groups have also confirmed to present workshops including: Southern New England Landcare (SNELC), High Country Urban Biodiversity Project (HiCUB), Sustainable Living Armidale (SLA), Students In Community (SIC), Frog Dreaming Conference, Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) and the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC).
“We also have several professional educators involved to complement the local community involvement,” continued Ms Emojong. “World renowned potter Cameron Williams will focus on the history of clay as a sustainable material; The King and Queen of Green bring a theatrical element; and Ranger Stacey from Totally Wild weaves entertainment with education. Costa Georgiadis from the SBS show Costa’s Garden Odyssey will be making a welcome back trip to SLEX. He proved to be a hit with the youngsters last year, and no doubt he’ll make that same impact again at SLEX this year.
EdFest is woven through the three days of SLEX (21-23 October 2011). While the Friday program is for schools, the Saturday and Sunday program broadens out to include activities for young children as well as older students, youth and young families.
EdFest is free to schools with thanks to SLEX and EdFest sponsors. It is coordinated by Starfish Enterprises Network in partnership with HiCUB, Southern New England Landcare, Frog Dreaming Conference, Thalgarrah Environmental Education Centre and the NSW Office of Environment & Heritage.
For further information contact:
To find out more or get involved with SLEX EdFest 2011, contact Sewa Emojong on semojong@une.edu.au or {mobile prefix O-foru}78 148 490.
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