Powerful grants support Junior Landcare projects

THOUSANDS of Victorian students at more than 200 schools and youth organisations will be getting hands on with inventive projects that help to educate children about sustainability within their local environment.

These grants are made possible through Junior Landcare and Momentum Energy’s Powerful Youth Projects.

Landcare Australia and Momentum launched the Powerful Youth Projects in 2017 to seek new ideas for how children can actively learn and develop skills for protecting local environments.

Through this program, Victorian schools, childcare centres and youth groups can apply for grants of up to $1,000.

Following a successful first year, which saw more than 24,000 students engaging in more than 200 projects, the Powerful Youth Projects program rolled out across the state again this year.

Local recipients include:

• 2K18 CCG VCAL vegetable garden in Highton
• Revegetation of the vegetable patch at Barwon Heads Primary School
• Native/bush tucker garden at Birregurra Primary School
• A place for sensory wellbeing at Clairvaux Primary School
• The circle of life in the vegie garden at Elements Childcare and Early Learning Centre in Torquay
• The Tucker Garden Project at Grovedale West Primary School
• Bush tucker in our backyard at St Aloysius Primary School, and
• Celebration of Sustainability and Gardening at Torquay Coast Primary School.

To encourage the enthusiasm shown by so many schools, Momentum Energy increased their funding to ensure that 219 schools across Victoria were awarded grants.

Dr Shane Norris, Landcare Australia’s acting chief executive officer, is delighted to be able to support so many schools in Victoria.

“Junior Landcare is all about encouraging young people to play an active role in ensuring the safe future of their environment,” he said.

“So it’s fantastic to be working in partnership with Momentum Energy two years in a row supporting thousands of children to get hands on with nature.

“Last year’s projects produced exciting results and we can’t wait to see this year’s projects come to fruition.”