These resources have been developed to support educators in NSW schools to engage meaningfully with the Eat Dirt program.
Eat Dirt is a program piloted at Bellingen High School to build community resilience by connecting students to Country, nature and each other.
Funding for this pilot program has been made possible with a grant from the NSW Government’s Bushfire Community Recovery and Resilience Fund and is a partnership project with Gotcha4Life, Surf Life Saving NSW, Bellingen High School and the local community.
The project sees students educated outside, in nature, using the available resources to teach across the curriculum.
Bellingen High School Acting Principal Tim Laverty said the benefits of this program are far-reaching for the students.
“We need our students to become empowered, energised and contributors to the community. This program will give our children the tools to work on their resilience, to improve educational outcomes, the health of our environment and promote reconciliation,” Mr Laverty said.
To find out more about the project, contact Melanie Tyas, Landcare NSW on mtyas@landcarensw.org.au.
Resources:
Teachers’ Kit:
Foreword – Eat Dirt Reimagining Education Teachers Kit ( PDF 1.8 Mb)
Table of Contents – Eat Dirt Reimagining Education Teachers Kit (PDF 359 Kb)
Introduction – Eat Dirt Reimagining Education Teachers Kit (PDF 1.3 Mb)
Eat Dirt Inception – Reimagining Education Teachers Kit (PDF 277 Kb)
Eat Dirt Case Study – Reimagining Education Teachers Kit (PDF 670 Kb)
How to Roll out the Eat Dirt Program – Reimagining Education Teachers Kit (PDF 1.2 Mb)
What’s Next – Eat Dirt Reimagining Education Teachers Kit (PDF 270 Kb)
The future looks bright – Eat Dirt Reimagining Education Teachers Kit (PDF 629 Kb)
Teachers’ Kit Templates:
Eat Dirt Student Expression of Interest Form (PDF 307 Kb)
Eat Dirt Post Evaluation Form (PDF 1 Mb)
Eat Dirt Step 1 4 Lenses (PDF 764 Kb) with thanks to the Centre for Ecological Learning
Eat Dirt Step 2 Brainstorming (PDF 481 Kb)
Eat Dirt Step 3 Lesson Planning (PDF 64 Kb)
Eat Dirt Step 4 Lesson Plan (PDF 162 Kb)
Eat Dirt A Possible Way Forward Using the contributions from each workshop group (PDF 947 Kb)
Art Therapy:
Creative Connections Trauma informed and art therapy presentation slides (PDF 1.8 Mb)
Additional Resources:
Developing Nature Connection – Dr Miles Holmes (PDF 429 Kb)
Backyard Buddies Project (PDF 854 Kb)
Nature Fix Feel the Flow Flyer (PDF 552 Kb)
Trauma-informed practice in schools: An explainer (PDF 434 Kb)
Arts, Creativity and Mental Wellbeing: Research, practice and lived experience (PDF 1.8 Mb)
Text Publishing — Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World
