Green Day - not just one day but everyday!
Green Day - not just one day but everyday!
An evolution of a signature event - after 14 years how do you keep it relevent?
Community Participation -
LP016-008
The issue
Watershed Landcare’s already successful one day event called Green Day (environmental expo for schools across our region) needed to take the opportunity to evolve. For the last 14 years, Green Day has been an eagerly anticipated event for schools but it was recognised that the impact of the event could be far greater within our classrooms, across playgrounds, in homes and within our community. With our 2022 Keynote Speaker Costa Georgiadis locked in, the challenge was how to have the greatest impact to educate, empower, create action and to develop a legacy around the Green Day concept.
The solution
Green Day with our schools (Thursday) kept to the same, successful structure with minor adjustments. Building upon this we included a teachers professional development session (Thursday afternoon) and two school visits on the Friday.
Friday night was an opportunity for the committee to come together with Costa and key stakeholders to discuss the evolution and potential of a broader Green Day concept.
On Saturday Green Day for Grown Ups was initiated – a smaller version of Green Day that members of the community could attend.
Personnel resources came from volunteers, committee and Watershed Landcare Coordinators. Local businesses and government organisations provided financial sponsorship and support on the schools day including supply and cooking of lunch.
The impact
We engaged with over 600 students and teachers from 18 schools across our region to educate and motivate with the theme “Grow Your Own Way” – working towards a more sustainable world.
15 teachers attended a professional development session with Junior Landcare, Costa and Watershed Landcare to learn about the resources/grants available. A light bulb moment for all and these are our strongest advocates!
Friday, engagement with a further 600 students, plus teachers and parents as an incursion at two schools to create action, implement and imbed lessons learnt from Green Day. Saturday, a sell-out event with 90 tickets sold to community members with approximately 80% of those in attendance not existing Watershed Landcare members. Our membership numbers, affiliate memberships, nursey sales and community awareness has increased directly related to the event.
Over three days we educated, empowered, motivated, and created action across multiple audiences-students, teachers, parents, within our committee and across the wider community. These three days created a platform for greater engagement, forming and strengthening partnerships and to ultimately the start of a legacy of Green Day being everyday for everyone, not just one fun day out for our schools!
Key facts
- 600 students and teachers from 18 schools across our region
- 15 teachers attended a professional development session
- 90 community members attended for Green Day for Grown-Ups
- 40+ volunteers made up of presenters and helpers in addition to sponsors