We are a winner in the ResourceSmart Schools Awards!

On Thursday 5 June, we celebrated World Environment Day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground alongside the 31 finalists of the ResourceSmart Schools Awards - Victoria’s largest celebration of sustainability in schools.

We took part in a sustainability showcase, explored education programs, discovered our climate superpowers, met Costa Georgiadis, and won an award in the Emerging School of the Year category!

This year, 54 schools from across Victoria submitted 85 entries across 8 categories, making the celebration of sustainability even bigger, and the judges' task more challenging. It’s a great demonstration of ResourceSmart Schools working together to build the future we need.

Speaking of working together, since 2008, 1,600 ResourceSmart Schools have worked together to: 

• save more than $63 million on bills 
• plant more than 5.1 million trees 
• save more than 110,000 tonnes CO2e greenhouse gas emissions 
• divert 170,000 cubic metres of waste from landfill 
• save 1.9 million kilolitres of water. 

The ResourceSmart Schools Awards are a joyful and affirming celebration of schools and students and their sustainability triumphs. The awards are the state’s largest sustainability celebration for primary and secondary school students, teachers and school volunteers taking remarkable sustainability action. We are proud to be recognised among the schools doing sustainability work that benefits students, the planet and the wider community alike. 

Check out the finalists and winners for the 2025 ResourceSmart Schools Awards: https://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/2025-rssa-finalists 

Calls to action 

1. Check out the finalists and winners for the 2025 ResourceSmart Schools Awards: https://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/2025-rssa-finalists
2. Learn more about the RSS program and get involved: https://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/our-work/resourcesmart-schools 

Key messages 

About the 2025 ResourceSmart Schools Awards 

• The ResourceSmart School Awards is Victoria’s largest sustainability celebration for primary and secondary school students, teachers and school volunteers taking remarkable sustainability action.  
• The ResourceSmart School Awards is a positive, future-focused event celebrating sustainability leadership in Victorian primary and secondary schools. 
• The Awards are in their 16th year in 2025, and with the theme ‘Working Together,’ they celebrate the incredible impact schools, students, teachers, volunteers and communities have collectively achieved to build the future we need. 
• This year, 54 schools from across Victoria submitted 85 entries in 8 categories, with 31 schools named as finalists. 
• The 2025 ResourceSmart Schools Awards were held on 5 June at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Hosted by Costa Georgiadis, the ceremony celebrated best-practice sustainability in schools.
  

About ResourceSmart Schools 

• Sustainability Victoria’s ResourceSmart Schools program is an international award-winning program that provides practical support for schools to make cost savings, integrate sustainability into the curriculum and share learnings beyond the school gate.
• Since 2008, more than 1,600 schools have participated in the program. Together, they have: 
• save more than $63 million on bills 
• plant more than 5.1 million trees 
• save more than 110,000 tonnes CO2e greenhouse gas emissions 
• divert 170,000 cubic metres of waste from landfill 
• save 1.9 million kilolitres of water. 
• ResourceSmart Schools is helping Victoria to transition to a zero-net carbon, circular economy by 2050.
• ResourceSmart Schools was awarded the 2015 Banksia Education for Sustainability Award and received the gold award at the international 2019 Energy Smart Community Initiative Best Practices Awards at APEC Chile 2019. 

About Sustainability Victoria 

• Sustainability Victoria is transitioning Victoria to a circular, climate-resilient economy.
• Established under the Sustainability Victoria Act 2005, SV is a statutory authority with a board appointed by the then Minister for Environment and Climate Change.

For further information please contact Romina Callejas, Program Lead– Education, on romina.callejas@sustainability.vic.gov.au.