Three local schools are proving that small actions can spark big change – and now, they’re being recognised as among Victoria’s environmental leaders.
Greenvale’s Aitken College and Kolbe Catholic College, along with Epping’s St Monica College, have been named finalists in the 2025 Resource Smart Awards – Victoria’s largest celebration of school sustainability initiatives.
The awards, now in their 16th year, are run by sustainability Victoria under the theme ‘Working together’, recognising the power of collaboration in building a greener future.
Aitken College is in the running for the prestigious Resource Smart School of the Year award.
The 5 star school, led by sustainability coordinator Dwayne Ganci, has become a leader in environmental education, partnering with Melbourne Water on the Brodies Creek Re-vegetation Project and regenerating wetlands through a Victorian Junior Land-care and Biodiversity Grant.
Students also connect with First Nations culture through a thriving Bush Tucker Garden, while staff are trained in Water Watch programs to monitor local creek and wetland health.
Kolbe Catholic College is a first-time finalist, nominated for the Container Deposit Vic (CDS Vic) Excellence Award (secondary). Its student- led initiative linked recycling efforts to school house competitions through the popular Sustainability Shield, and its Containers for Charities drive saw the community collect over 500 bottles and cans.
Meanwhile, St Monica’s College, which is no stranger to sustainability success, is up for two awards: Campus Infrastructure and Operations School of the Year, and Teacher of the Year (secondary) for Ben Coleman’s leadership.
Under his guidance, students transformed an unused sports pitch into a thriving wetland along Darebin Creek, restoring a rare Victorian Volcanic Plains Grassland habitat, and using drones and wildlife cameras to monitor the ecosystem.
Sustainability Victoria’s director of regions and community action Katie Pahlow said working together is the key to success.
“We can achieve so much more when we work together– whether that’s with other students, other schools, other teachers, or the wider community,” Ms Pahlow said.
Winners will be announced on June 5.
