Emanuel School empowers student leaders in sustainability
Sydney’s Emanuel School recently hosted the first Inter-School Student Leadership in Sustainability Symposium, bringing together senior student representatives and staff from various schools to share ideas and successes in implementing sustainable practices.
Participating students
The event was organised by Lisa Starkey, Sustainability Co-ordinator at Emanuel School, in response to the growing demand for a platform where like-minded students can connect and collaborate towards a better future.
The symposium was a resounding success, with participants taking part in workshops, presentations, and a pickling session by guest speaker Mitch Burnie from Adamama Farm. Students shared their passion for sustainability and formed new friendships while learning from each other’s experiences. A guest speaker from Keep Australia Beautiful provided inspirational ideas and discussed various programs that schools could use to make a positive impact on the environment.
The event showcased the leadership potential of young adults and the impact they can make when given the opportunity to take action. Lisa Starkey noted that the symposium provided valuable leadership opportunities to senior school students, empowering them to create sustainable change in their school environments. The positive feedback from attendees has sparked discussions of a future event being hosted by one of the participating schools.
Year 12 Emanuel School student, Ruby Grynberg, shared her experience: “This symposium encouraged us as the leaders of our School to bring sustainability to the forefront of conversation and recognise its importance in a world where pollution, climate change and global warming are at crisis levels. We are so grateful to have had this opportunity as leaders to broaden our understanding and develop ideas on how schools can be more sustainable. We hope this event is a regular feature of the calendar.”
Emanuel School’s Principal, Andrew Watt, commented: “Emanuel School is proud to have hosted a forum for discussion around promoting sustainable practices within our schools. Our aim is to create a network of students within schools who are passionate about valuing, promoting, and protecting our environment. The contributions from students highlighted the passion and creativity of young people when it comes to creating a more sustainable future.”
