Climate Ready Schools

students developing practical solutions to local climate change issues

The Climate Ready Schools Program is a partnership initiative between Green Adelaide Sustainable Schools, Resilient South, AdaptWest and Resilient East.

This exciting program was founded by the City of Onkaparinga and quickly expanded to Resilient South, before being adopted by Green Adelaide across the entire Green Adelaide Region. Climate Ready Schools challenges students and teachers to carrying out investigations into climate change adaptation and mitigation through STE(A)M(Science Technology Engineering (Arts) and Maths) inquiries in their school or local neighbourhood.

With the support of the Green Adelaide Sustainable Schools team, teachers and students are taken through learning packages, outlining what climate change is and what this means at a local level, as well as looking at the effects of climate change on biodiversity and water in more depth.

Students use a problem-based learning approach to look at local climate change issues through student-led co-design often with a STE(A)M focus. They investigate issues and develop practical solutions using Design Thinking.

In the program climate change is integrated into the school curriculum to provide learning opportunities for students, professional development for teachers and a clear course of action that schools can take in order to be proactive in adapting to the effects of climate change.

Climate Ready Schools was Highly Commended in the 2021 Resilient Australia (SA) Awards. Staff from Green Adelaide Education attended the award ceremony and were presented with the highly commended award by the HonVincent Tarzia, Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services.

For more information, including getting your school involved, please contact Rob Wallace on 0418 151 300 or robwal@onkaparinga.sa.gov.au