INTERACT CONFERENCE: SOUTHERN REGION MULTI-DISTRICT

Interact Conference: Southern Region Multi-district

Summary report: Learning from successful school environmental projects - August 2026

The conference, held at Camberwell Grammar School, was attended by almost 160 delegates - including Interactors from 14 Interact clubs in Districts 9800 and 9815, teachers and Rotarians.

The conference was opened by MC Hamish McDonald from the East Doncaster Secondary School Interact Club, with the first session: InterAction for the Environment. 

After a short presentation on the topic by the District 9015 Environmental Coordinator, Pat Armstrong, the students were divided into three groups, with each group facilitated by a experienced Rotarian.

In each group, the students were given a handout with the following instructions: 

  • Work in teams of 6-7
  • Choose a Team Leader - facilitates the discussion and reports back on behalf of the team
  • Choose a Scribe - uses sheets of butcher’s paper to record:
    • name of a successful student environmental project of each school in the team
      • the key learning from that project for each school
  • Team Leader:
    • asks team members to vote on the most important learning from the schools
      • reports this key learning to the whole group

In addition, students were given tips to guide their contributions to their team’s discussion.

 

At the conclusion of the group activity, two students from each group gave a short report of their group’s findings to the whole conference. These three reports were then collated into the summary shown on the following pages. 
 

Summary of the reports from the three groups

Successful school environmental projects. The projects below were collated from the reports from the three groups.

Animals

  • Beehives
  • Chicken coop

Clean up Australia Day

  • Park cleanup

Cutlery initiative

  • The school asks students to pay for plastic cutlery
  • Student led
  • Obtained permission from the Environment Club
  • Learnt that they used to much plastic cutlery

Environment duty

Food projects

  • Food collection bank
    • Reduces waste and gives disadvantaged people food
  • Packing “For a meal” meals (saves food) for disaster relief

Gardening

  • Gardening in the community
  • Native gardens
  • Kitchen gardens
  • School gardens
    • Plant vegetables and herbs
    • Run by the Environment Club
  • Tree restoration day

Recycling and waste projects

  • Coloured bins for different waste materials
  • House recycle challenge
    • Competition for different houses
    • Run by students and teachers
    • Use 10 cent refund bins
    • Take to a container: Container Deposit Scheme
    • Money raised is donated to charity

Marine biology

  • Picking up garbage and weeds
    • Helped clean the area
    • Garbage disrupts the natural environment
    • Teacher planned, student action
    • Class environment club

Reuse projects

  • Opportunity shop
  • Thrift shop with donated items

Pedal powered cinema

  • People peddling bicycles powers the outdoor cinema
  • Student activity run mainly by environment club

Sheltered bike racks

  • Encourages students to ride their bikes
  • Secure, safe storage for bikes

Solar schools initiative

  • Worked with other school clubs to raise $50,000 to put solar panels on the Performing Arts Centre
  • Obtained sponsorship from small businesses
  • An ongoing project
  • Role of students was to run fundraisers and inform others of the initiative

Stationary drive

  • Reducing waste of study materials

Towards 2050 includes:

  • Bike riding
  • Solar panels
  • Multiple bins
  • Posters
  • Green Week

Wildlife sanctuary

  • Sponsor animals

  • The most popular projects for the three groups

  • Pedal powered cinema
  • Collecting containers for the 10 cent deposit
  • Food collection bank

  •  

  • Key learnings from the projects

  • Respect for culture
  • Collaboration is crucial in creating change
  • Learnt that they used to much plastic cutlery
  • Learnt that they don’t separate rubbish well
  • Learnt that working together can make a difference
  • Learnt how to be responsible with rubbish
  • Learnt how to be responsible for our environment

  •  

  • What worked?

  • Competitions
  • Having things available to make taking action easier, e.g. Bike sheds
  • Linking kitchen gardens to curriculum
  • Including junior students
  • Inviting the community to get involved
  • Teaching students how to care for plants
  • Container Deposit Scheme

  • Beehives (environmental indicator)