We offer school groups the opportunity to track the contents of local bins, following the separate paths taken by garbage and recyclables from our city.
Class Excursions
Our Waste Educators provide tours of the Summerhill Waste Management Centre for Newcastle school and community groups. If your school is out of the City of Newcastle Local Government area, please contact your local council for a list of their waste education programs.
The tours can be tailored to classes from Year 2 and above, offering an appropriate level of information for each age group.
To get your school involved, call our Waste Education Team on (02) 4974 2848 or complete the Waste Education Request Form.
School Activities
Our Waste Educators offer classroom talks suitable for K-12. Presentation topics include recycling, worm farming, composting, landfill management, litter and marine debris issues.
Equipment and information are also available for loan to help schools conduct waste audits. A waste audit can give students a 'hands on' learning experience, as well as provide valuable data for waste management planning. Waste Educators can also assist with the waste minimisation component of the school's environmental plan.
To schedule an activity, call our Waste Education Team on (02) 4974 2848 or complete the Waste Education Request Form.
Worksheets, fact sheets and suggestions for activities, for both Primary and Secondary students, are available below.
Primary school resources
- Waste Audit Worksheet (pdf)
- Compost in a Bottle Activity Sheet (pdf)
- Seedling Experiment (pdf)
- Compost Colour-In (pdf)
- Recycling Activity Sheets (pdf)
- Low Waste Lunch Information Pack (pdf)
Secondary school resources
- Waste Audit Worksheet (pdf)
- Low Waste Lunch Information Pack (pdf)
Environmental education activities provided by other organisations
Wetlands Environmental Education Centre
The Wetlands Environmental Education Centre offers a range of excursion opportunities for students from Kindergarten to Year 12. Programs promote the integration of environmental education with all key learning areas as indicated in the NSW Environmental Education Policy for Schools (2001).
Please visit the Wetlands Environmental Education Centre website for more information and booking details.
Hunter Water
Hunter Water is now offering free education programs for Early Stage 1 through to Stage 4 students both in-school and at its new, purpose built Centre for Education in Mayfield West.
The 'Bubbles and Supa Squirt' water saving education show teaches students the importance of saving water and following the Hunter Water’s Water Wise Rules. This hilarious show is filled with fun and laughter, catering for students from K-2. When at the Centre for Education Stage 2 and Stage 4 students will be engaged in an interactive presentation, science experiments and other hands-on activities linked to the NSW Science and Geography syllabuses for the Australian curriculum over a two hour period. Stage 4 students will also complete a guided tour of a working water recycling plant with a plant operator.
Full information, including printable resources and how to register for an incursion or excursion, is available by visiting the Hunter Water website.