2024 Climate Choices Schools Award Winners

The Climate Choices Schools Awards is an annual event. It recognises students, staff and school leaders in climate action and sustainability.

The Awards celebrate excellence across the Sustainable Schools Program focus areas:

• biodiversity
• energy
• waste
• water
• curriculum integration.

On 9 December 2024, awards were given in 5 award categories.

Schools Climate Action Conference Award – UC Senior Secondary College Lake Ginninderra

For a school that sent a student team to the Schools Climate Action Conference in April 2024. The award went to the school whose team's actions after the conference had the greatest impact on sustainability.

After attending the Schools Climate Action Conference in April 2024, students from UC Senior Secondary College Lake Ginninderra worked to make their school more sustainable. They did a waste audit (with help from the Sustainable Schools Program), ran a waste education campaign and established a 10c Container Deposit Scheme collection. This raised money and saved 136kg of greenhouse gas emissions. They also built homes for native bees, planted wattle trees and started gardening activities like weeding, composting and planting. The team will present their work at a school assembly next year to promote sustainability and recruit new members.

Leaps and Bounds Award – Ryan McGee, St Joseph’s Primary School

For a staff member who is leading engagement with SSP Online in 2024 at a school which has not yet gained star accreditation.

The Award winner’s school completed the most actions in SSP Online. Schools which gained star accreditation in 2024 were not eligible for this award.

Ryan McGee teaches sustainability to students from kindergarten to year 6 at St Joseph’s Primary. Thanks to Ryan’s work, the school completed more actions in SSP Online than any other eligible school. Ryan’s achievements include

• initiating a school Eco-Event to showcase sustainability achievements,
• creating a handout for parents about waste-free lunches, and
• improving the management of food waste, compost heaps and worm farms.

Ryan also worked with the Sustainable Schools Program to give a presentation to students on recycling and food waste. Ryan featured in a Local Environment Heroes podcast by the Canberra Environment Centre. She keeps her sustainability knowledge up to date by attending professional learning events.

School of the Year Award – Macgregor Primary School

For the school with the greatest reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in 2024 per student, as calculated in SSP Online.

The winning school demonstrates excellent resource management and efficient resource consumption.

Macgregor Primary School had the greatest reduction in emissions per student of any school engaged with the Sustainable Schools Program, saving over 30 tonnes since 2023. It was the first school in the ACT to get three-star accreditation through the program. The school made several changes to be more sustainable. They switched most lights to LED and painted internal walls with lighter colours to use natural light better. They established a Container Deposit Scheme collection and diverted food waste from landfill to FOGO. They are currently collecting bottle lids to make a recycled plastic bench with Lids4Kids. The school’s Green Team keeps waste out of the local environment and waterways collecting rubbish from the school grounds.

Early Adopter Award

Seven schools received the Early Adopter Award for achieving star accreditation in SSP Online in 2024.

• Aranda Primary School – one star
• Chapman Primary School – one star
• Franklin School – one star
• Taylor Primary School – one star
• Telopea Park School – one star
• Macgregor Primary School – three stars
• Radford College – three stars

Sustainable Steps Poster Competition Award

This award is for ACT school students from preschool to year 8 who won their category of the Sustainable Steps Poster Competition in 2024.

• Preschool/Kindergarten: Francis S, Rosary Primary School
• Year 1/2: Hamish G, Franklin School
• Year 3/4: Elodie A, North Ainslie Primary School
• Year 5/6: Faye S, Radford College
• Year 7/8: Virginia R, UC High School Kaleen
• People’s Choice Award: Samar H, Forrest Primary School

Find out more about the Climate Choices Schools Awards.