Youth Eco Summit

About YES Partnership between UWS, the NSW Dept of Education & Community and the Sydney Olympic Park Authority (all RCE-GWS partners) Unique curriculum-based event for primary and secondary school students Includes hands-on workshops, seminars, displays and activities around all aspects of sustainability Platform for students to teach students, and for industry and tertiary educators to engage with youth Photo – Minster for the Environment, Hon. Robin Parker participating in the launch of YES 2013 with live video conference with schools all around NSW to talk about their sustainability projects in schools

Partnerships Partnership between UWS, DEC and SOPA YES was a formal partnership between the 3 organisations before the partnership was strengthened further through our RCE network These 3 organisations work together to fund, coordinate and organise the event.

Our Stats Between 2010 to 2013 we have engaged with 10,000 students from all over the state, including disadvantaged and rural/remote students Live video conferences and web streaming broadcasts across New South Wales, Australia and around the world are used to engage students that are unable to attend The initiative has involved 65 environmental organisations Photo – High School students participating in live web streaming around the globe directly from the event

Education and Market Transformation YES is a ‘living laboratory’ for anyone who is developing, delivering or researching sustainability pedagogies It exemplifies the shift to a 21st Century model of integrated, real-world, collaborative education and serves as a model of practice for the delivery of education services in Australia YES is successfully delivering localised action through effective collaboration and linking & leveraging existing networks As the new Australian cross-curriculum theme of sustainability rolls out YES offers a proven, effective and accessible means for all teachers and students to engage in a 21st century approach to learning about ESD

ESD and SD practices YES has enabled the RCE-GWS to position itself as a leader in sustainability and educational action across Western Sydney YES brings prestige and recognition that goes beyond the local area to the international arena It showcases community engagement and in doing so takes Education for Sustainable Development to the forefront of our community Photo – Living Links, project used to highlight and showcase aboriginal educations, sustainability and career aspirations for the local community of Willmont. These students were funded by DEC to attend the summit as they are from a low SES community. Living links was held prior to YES

Evidence of inspired change for Sustainability YES was the recipient of the NSW Green Globe Award for Public Sector Sustainability in 2013 YES was highlighted at the Equity In Education Symposium in 2013 Global links with Germany, Malaysia and Alaska have been established A YES presentation and workshop was given at the International Health Symposium on non-communicable diseases in Western Sydney in 2011 YES received a learning for Sustainability Award for Excellence in 2013 Photo – YES committee receiving Green Globe Award

Evidence of inspired change for Sustainability Yes Project http://www.uws.edu.au/ Teacher Education http://uws.edu.au/rcegws/rce/teacher_educational_for_sustainability/schools_engagement_project/youth_eco_summit Photo – YES committee receiving Green Globe Award