(Funded by Caring for Our Country, ACT Environment Grants and ActewAGL Source Water Protection Program Education Grants)

The project provides for the part time employment of a qualified teacher as an Education Officer with the Southern ACT Catchment Group to develop and implement a source water protection education program for Primary, Secondary and College students in the southern ACT catchment area. Source water protection involves the management and use of the catchment that supplies the community’s potable water supply.

Educating future generations on the importance of maintaining a high quality water supply and the methods associated with catchment management is necessary to work toward a sustainable future.

‘Environmental education for sustainability is a concept encompassing a vision of education that seeks to empower people of all ages to assume responsibility for creating a sustainable future.’ UNESCO.
http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=27234&URL_DO=DO_TOPI....



Potential outcomes of the Project:

• Increase in education of catchment health issues at a primary, secondary and college levels.
• Increase in education of source water issues at a primary, secondary and college levels.
• Increase in school excursions to venues and activities highlighting catchment and source water issues.
• Increase in students “Acting for an environmentally sustainable future” as identified by the Essential Learning Achievements 20 (ACT Dept Education Curriculum)
• Increase in teacher awareness of learning activities and opportunities that address objectives of ELA 20 as identifies by the ACT Department of Education.

This will be brought about by:

• The employment of a qualified Education Officer to develop and implement a source water catchment protection education program. This project will be enabled by combining 8 hours per week from SACTCG catchment coordinator's role (funded from ACT Caring for Our Country program) with 8 hours per week funded by ACTEW and a further 4 hours per week from ACT Environment Grants to employ a qualified teacher to take the message of water catchment protection directly into the schools of southern ACT;
• The first two months of the project will develop the program (that fits within relevant learning areas) in conjunction with ACTEW Source Water Protection Education Officer, ACT Waterwatch Facilitator, Education Department and the Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative ACT;
• The Education Officer will collect and develop appropriate targeted education materials. ACT Environment Grant to fund necessary resources;
• The Education Officer will deliver an in-class education program that fits within ACT schools curriculum and is aimed at teaching students the values and methods of protecting our drinking water supplies and the necessary catchment protection associated with such;
• The Education Officer will conduct a limited number of class excursions to emphasis how students and the general community can contribute to protecting our drinking water supplies and the necessary catchment protection;
• The Education Officer will provide teacher in-servicing;
• The Education Officer will participate in the Southern ACT Waterwatch school holiday program;
• The Education Officer will investigate the inclusion of peer education (students teaching students) and issues based debate on catchment protection.



Martin Lind our Waterwatch Coordinator has taken on the role of Education Officer. Martin can be contacted on 6296 6400 or email waterwatch@sactcg.org.au