Sustainable School with humanist values

My partner Andia and I started a not-for-profit called “Lets Waste Less” in 2017.  We wanted to reduce the use of single plastics in our town and began sourcing second-hand materials and support for fortnightly Boomerang Bag sewing bees.

Friends suggested asking the Sathya Sai School if we could use their hall. We had a great meeting with them. They not only agreed to let us use their hall, they also advertised our events and many of the staff, including the Principal, regularly came.

The school's commitment to sustainability is impressive and includes some great ongoing projects, like onsite composting and nude lunches. We were really impressed when the students successfully petitioned our local Coles to install a Redcycle bin. It was a great comfort knowing that some of our soft plastics would be recycled and repurposed into furniture and infrastructure.

In this interview I speak with Isabela Kesli-Frantti, the Sustainability Coordinator from Sathya Sai College in Murwillumbah, NSW.

We speak about the school's:

• environmental practices
• promotion of positive change
• support from the community
• core principals
• cultivation of a rich inner life among students
• waste reduction program
• edible gardens, including bush tucker and composting.

The school also has other out of hours conservation programs, like the birds eye view program, a NSW Government initiative to promote more outdoor learning.

Want to know more after listening to the podcast?

Links:
Sathya Sai Website
Facebook
Contact

Bio of Isabela Kesli-Frantti

Isabela loves working with youth. Her background in education and psychology helped her develop resources and programs with a focus on self/group/environmental awareness. Isabela is originally from Brazil, where she worked as an English language teacher for more than ten years and got her degree in Bachelor of Psychology with a major in analytical psychology.  Living in the Northern Rivers since 2004, Isabela has been an active member of the community  through her work and hobbies. She is the sustainability coordinator, student support officer and school chaplain at the primary campus of Sathya Sai College, a Human Values based school. Isabela’s work involves ongoing collaboration with her colleagues, students, parents and the wider community  to promote positive changes through ‘litter literacy’, waste management and wildlife conservation. Her passion for dolphins has inspired her to raise awareness about these fascinating animals and the environment through education and conservation. In addition to her education role, Isabela is currently furthering her study in marine science at Southern Cross University