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Timeline
In 2009, the Sustainable Living Challenge celebrates its 12th year!
1998
Under the strong leadership of UNSW Professor Deo Prasad, an innovative schools program was created called the Sustainable Living Competition. It was developed to create a national awards framework that recognised the outstanding work being led by motivated and passionate teachers as champions of education for sustainability in secondary schools all over Australia.
2000
After a successful pilot in association with the NSW Department of Education and Training, the program went national. The program was particularly valuable to the design and technology key learning area as it championed the unique role that young people can play when creating innovative solutions that foster sustainable living.
2003
After five years in the landscape, state sustainable schools pilots were being conducted which provided an opportunity to rethink the program and to consider how to best align it with the growing momentum around sustainable schools across Australia.
2004
UNSW Built Environment became the sole funding partner of the program. This move demonstrated the commitment of the Faculty to genuine and meaningful work in the community, whilst allowing the program to pursue deep outcomes in terms of teaching and learning.
2005
The program was re-launched in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme as the Sustainable Living Challenge. The key differentiating factor of the program from its previous incarnation was its change in focus away from end products or outputs as a main goal to a program that more adequately recognises the central role of the learning journey itself on the path to sustainability.
Today
The Sustainable Living Challenge is a peak program of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) in Australia. Since its beginning, it has engaged over 20,000 students and over 2000 teachers.
Want to know more?
More information about the Sustainable Living Challenge can be found by clicking the links below:
Educating for a Sustainable Future