Walking the talk...

Albany Junior High School has only been open for 18 months, but its student-driven environment group is already making a big difference. The group consists of over 80 students willing to learn about sustainable action and wanting to enhance the environment.

The school has adopted an ‘Albany to the Sea’ approach to its environmental education programme, and the school is lucky to have a stream running adjacent to their grounds. Recently the school linked up with Island Care to monitor what rubbish is being washed onto inner islands from this stream, and they are also working with the North Shore City Council to begin riparian planting to improve the health of the waterway.

Later this year Year 8 students will become involved with the Wai Care Programme so they can more closely monitor the health of their local stream and develop action plans for a sustainable future. Student leader Carla Boniolo describes sustainability as ‘something we have learnt that is really important if we are going to be effective in creating change in our community.’

AJHS is also a newly registered GLOBE school, and the plan is for Year 9 students to become involved with this programme. Their work with Wai Care matches the hydrological protocols of GLOBE, and at this stage they plan to install a weather station to track climate variability. The environment group believe GLOBE will allow people to take responsibility for various aspects of the programme. The students feel as though that they are not given enough responsibilities around the school, and GLOBE is one way that they will achieve that.

The students involved in the environmental programme are passionate about what they learning, and are motivated to make a difference. They are an environmental voice in the Albany community, with some of their work being covered in the local media; however the students have also noticed a change in their own attitudes. ‘We have made real personal growth’ explains Carla, ‘We notice things, and are not afraid to speak up when we see something, such as someone washing their car on the road.’

AJHS is a great example of a school that is educating for a sustainable future with students that walk the talk!