Schoolgrounds for Learning

This program is currently seeking funding support. Self-funded clusters welcome.

Lead a transformation in your schoolgrounds, share your passion and foster a sense of care by involving your whole school community with this unique online leadership training program.

This exciting new approach to sustainability education provides a framework and training to guide schools through developing masterplans and implementing projects for greener, more interesting and stimulating schoolgrounds.

Students benefit from full involvement in the design and planning process

What’s so special about Schoolgrounds for Learning

• Guides teachers through a framework for schoolgrounds planning and transformation in achievable steps that recognise the value of both the planning process and the end result
• Results in up to five years' worth of authentic student projects that enrich learning and play resources and help meet the diverse social and educational needs of students and teachers beyond the traditional 'turf and tarmac' model - review the research ...
• Provides opportunities to reduce energy and water use, produce less waste and increase biodiversity in school ground
• Involves students, other teachers, school leadership and the wider community to create a sense of shared ownership and distribute the workload
• Unique and convenient online delivery format specially designed for busy teachers including our exclusive online schoolgrounds masterplan design tool - see a wmv video demonstration of the design tool...
• Consistent with Level Four accreditation in the Victorian Department of Education’s Performance and Development Culture (Strategy 4) and key projects and planning systems that underpin Blueprint for Government Schools Strategies 1 ,3, 5, 6 and 7) - find out how the program supports government initiatives...

Schoolgrounds for Learning supports schools to:

• Empower students by enabling them to plan and implement real projects.
• Stimulate creativity and celebrate diversity.
• Contribute to student health and wellbeing.
• Encourage responsibility and citizenship.
• Build capacities of students, teachers and communities.
• Create interesting and attractive school environments that model environmental sustainability.
• Focus on the school environs, to enable teachers to facilitate changes within their school - to the physical and also the learning and cultural environments.
• Provide the skills and empowerment for participant teachers to work with their school community to transform their schoolgrounds and culture.
• Incorporate student leadership, facilitation, environmental sustainability, and professional project planning - including fundraising and public relations - into an easy-to-use strategic framework.

Find out more about how the Schoolgrounds for Learning course works …

“This is a continuing program which benefits the children and the community.
The pride we have in what we have achieved and the involvement
of our children and the community consolidates this as
the most important project we have been involved in on so many levels.
Thank you … for your enthusiasm and assistance.”  
Principal, Bayles Regional Primary School

Meeting educational outcomes

Gould League programs help your school meet government priority areas including e5 instructional model, Victorian Essential Learnings Standards (VELS), Australian Curriculum, Principles of Learning and Teaching (PoLT), Performance and Development Culture, as well as supporting many strategies and priorities identified in government documentation.
Find out how Gould League programs help deliver educational priorities ...

Schoolgrounds for Learning Research & Reports

Schoolgrounds greening projects have the potential for significant social benefits as demonstrated by international research showing:

• 71% increase in student physical activity (Canadian study)
• 64% reduction in bullying and 28% reduction in vandalism (UK study).
• 33% improvement in attitude to learning (survey of UK principals).
• 44% decrease in discipline (Canadian study)
• Student and staff absences below state average and parental ratings higher than state benchmarks (Waste Wise Schools and Sustainable Schools evaluations).

Read Case Studies (pdf) describing the positive outcomes achieved by schools participating in Schoolgrounds for Learning.

Read the Monash University research report from the 2006 program starring teachers as researchers, which was presented at the 4th International Conference on Environmental Education.

Schoolgrounds for Learning 2006-2008 was supported by: