By Kaija Du
The Hume Enviro Champ program is opening again for 2025, welcoming participants to create and lead a sustainability project.
It allows individuals to have the guidance to develop and execute their ideas throughout the year and apply for council support.
The masterclasses will run from March to November on a drop-in basis according to what sessions interest the individual. Introductory courses are also available across two Saturdays in February to find out if it’s for you.
For Analisa Malone, a recent participant, who helped others create their own sustainable cleaning products found that the best part was connecting with other sustainability focused individuals.
Analisa combined her idea with another woman in the program to bring the products and lessons to childcare centres.
She reached out to Jo Burton, the Hume environmental community development officer, who helped run her first workshop and continues to mentor her as she continues them.
“For me it was about making my idea a reality, discussing it with council, doing the project, educating the community, and understanding the project management side – it’s actually good for a career and not just side hustle,” Analisa said.
The new masterclass structure means that the participants don’t need to attend the ten weekly sessions but can remain consistent in their own time.
The program offers a support network to help the ideas get off the floor, learn about Hume and connect with likeminded people.
You don’t need a project idea to attend, but a desire to get started.
Introductory sessions are on February 15 and 22 at the Hume Global Learning Centre.
Details: tinyurl.com/4tcbw48s
