The Energy Breakthrough is more than a race! Although the efforts of our teams out there on the track are nothing short of incredible, there’s so much more that we want to achieve alongside our schools throughout their time at the Energy Breakthrough. And a huge one is raising awareness about sustainability, and educating our schools on how they can engage in more environmentally friendly practices both at the Energy Breakthrough, and throughout the year.
We get it, the Energy Breakthrough is a busy weekend for all of our schools, but that’s why we’re working with groups like
B-Alternative and Sustainability Victoria to help reduce our waste footprint across the weekend, and make being green as easy as possible!
But we need the help of our schools too! So, even though it’s a packed weekend, we’ve got some easy tips from other schools to make being green a little simpler. Check out how these schools are doing it, and you’ll see that being eco-friendly can be a breeze during the Energy Breakthrough weekend!
At Kurnai College, they’re turning food scraps and cans into something good through their work with Hands on Learning and the newly introduced container deposit scheme! By reusing their food scraps in a positive way, and recycling cans and bottles from their homes and school, they’re making a huge difference in keeping unnecessary waste out of landfill – all whilst making money for their team at the same time!
Not only that, the team is also finding innovative new ways to reduce the waste associated with their Energy Breakthrough program by using old racing shells for training, and using popped tubes as stretch bands before getting on the bike.
AND they’ve invested in solar power for their tools and lights to keep themselves off the grid. Way to go Kurnai College!
St Arnaud Primary School is also doing their bit, their schools has a ‘Green Team’, that meets every week to come up with ideas to make their school more eco-friendly. They’re working with their local Landcare to make their schoolyard even better for the environment.
We spoke with James Sheahan Regional College recently too , and they shared some fantastic insights into how they’re making their Energy Breakthrough experience more eco-friendly. They’re not just participating; they’re bringing practical tips and tricks to reduce waste at school, and they’ve provided some great tips for our schools!
The College has gone smart with their power usage, ditching traditional energy-consuming methods and opting for a fully charged deep cycle battery for both pits and camp. This battery runs all their LED strip lights, and is neatly housed in a plastic box equipped with USB and 12v outlets, proving that being green can also be tech-savvy.
Taking care of power needs doesn’t stop there. James Sheahan Regional College has students charging their power banks on a roster to keep their phones charged – we know that’s an important one for many of our secondary school students! The secret? They encourage using the largest power bank available, minimizing the need for frequent charges. Forget the solar panel – they’ve found that a 105Ahr battery was more than enough.
For added convenience, the college invested in a tent torch with a fan from Bunnings, proving that small changes can make a big difference. They even repurposed a 58v mower battery and inverter, ensuring sustainable power options. And for those forgetful moments, a battery with USB ports comes in handy when leaving the bus light on (we’ve all been there!)
When it comes to keeping it all cool, James Sheahan Regional College keeps it old-school with a regular Esky for cooling the staples like milk, eliminating the need for extra food storage – and extra energy! And they checked out the local dining options to remove the need to bring and store dinner.
Breakfast is a breeze with a butane stove and camp toaster, and they’ve embraced reusable plastic plates, bowls, and cups, just like us! Even the cutlery is second-hand from charity stores, proving that sustainability can be both practical and cost-effective.
The college does acknowledge a potential challenge for larger groups that self-cater and require power for a cool room. However, they’re thinking ahead. Could big portable batteries, replace generators in the future? We’re hoping so!
So let’s see what we can all do to make changes to lessen the footprint of the Energy Breakthrough, both at the event, and back at school. Teams like Kurnai College, St Arnaud, and James Sheahan are showing it can be easy – and we can’t wait to see what else our schools are up to next weekend in a mission to go green.
