Celebrating Queensland's primary school student environmental leaders

On November 17 a very special gathering occurred in the Queensland Museum.

160 students, parents, teachers, principles and even Tuck Shop Ladies gathered to celebrate the inspiring examples set by outstanding Green Lane Diary classrooms and individual students.

"It was as if for an hour, we bottled sunshine," commented Green Cross CEO Mara Bun who led the festivities.

Queensland Education and Training Minister Geoff Wilson kicked off the awards by highlighting the imaginative projects and sustainability achievements of five outstanding classes:

• Ocean Shores Public School, NSW - Putting sustainable thinking into action
• St Mary's Primary School, Ipswich - Green entrepreneurs
• Heatley State School, Townsville - Changing our community
• Beaconsfield State School, Mackay - Green class leading by example
• Manorvale Primary School, Werribee VIC - Green performers educating others

Minister Wilson proudly presented the "2010 Green Lane Diary Class Award" to Maleny State School, for "Leading the way for schools across Australia."

Maleny adopted the Diary program with gusto - from planting vines to protecting local endangered butterflies to placing "Greeny Goovers" eco tips around the school to performing their own "Going Green" rap on parade - this class has eco-style!

Our program sponsors were proud to honour the special achievements of three outstanding students:

• Pantea Konn (Year 6, Seven Hills State School)
• Brooke Mills (Year 7, Sunshine Beach State School)
• Chloe Melville (Year 5, Taranganba State School)

In a special presentation to a very special student, Queensland Climate Change and Sustainability Minister Kate Jones gave the 2010 Green Lane Diary Hero Award to Nicholas Buddle (Year 7, Runcorn State School).

Nicholas inspired his class to transform the school's canteen, selecting products that do not use palm oil which endangers orangutans and encouraging local produce and products.

We salute his inspiration and leadership - today the tuck shop, tomorrow the world!

Our major sponsor SIGG Australia then gave a very special award in recognition of community thinking and action.

The 2010 Class Community Action Award went to St Brendan's Catholic Primary School, Moorooka -  for supporting Clean Water for Ghana Kids.

This inspiring class raised over $100 towards providing clean water for Green Cross's Ghana green schools project and we are inspired by their contribution.

"Green Lane Diary has unleashed environmental understanding and action across primary schools" said Green Cross Australia Director of Education, Miranda Mason.

"From gardens that protect butterflies to orangutan-friendly tuck shops and Barrier Reef waste monitoring programs - these kids are willing to show real leadership in environmental protection" she said.

"Kids are really concerned about the environment," said Ms Mason.

"They hear their parents and other adults talking about all of these big problems and they don't understand why they can't do something about it. It's their world too and they really want to be empowered to do something to help it."

The multimedia website supporting this program for parents, teachers and students - www.greenlanediary.org - recently won the National Award for Best Education Website in the 2010 Australian Web Awards.

The Green Lane Diary website is also the recipient

of two Interactive Media Awards for Outstanding Achievement for excellence in the design, development and implementation from the Interactive Media Awards in the 'Charity' and 'Kids' categories.

In 2011, Green Lane Diary will scale up across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria with 35,000 students from over 500 Public, Independent and Catholic schools participating.

The outstanding schools and students awarded on November 17 will reach out to peers across Australia next year as the program grows, reaching 35,000 students in 500 schools, as we build a green education revolution.

Thanks to Gold and Platinum Green Lane Diary Sponsors SIGG Australia, Lend Lease, Queensland Department of Education and Training and Green Building Council of Australia.

Thanks also to Gray Media for helping us to launch the program on World Environment Day and Footprints for donating the games as prizes.

Now is the time to register your school to participate in the Green Lane Diary program in Term Three for 2012.

Simply email us your name, school name, postal address, class numbers - and we'll put you on the list to be involved in the program in Term Three, 2012 - and you will receive your copies of the Green Lane Diary and Scrapbook in the mail before Term Three.