Sustainable Schools was created to address the critical gaps in Environmental Education and Education for Sustainable Development in South Africa’s schools. Although teachers are expected to prepare learners for environmental challenges, sustainability is not consistently integrated into the curriculum, and many educators face inadequate training, limited resources, large class sizes, and pressure to prioritise examinable content. Essential topics such as biodiversity, water, climate resilience and waste reduction often receive little attention, even as schools and communities experience these issues daily. Teachers wanted practical support to bring sustainability into their lessons and guide meaningful projects, but lacked the tools, confidence and networks to do so. Schools were also attempting sustainability initiatives without structured guidance, monitoring systems or access to expert partners, which limited long-term impact. Sustainable Schools closes these gaps by equipping teachers with curriculum-aligned resources, personalised coaching and a supportive community. The innovation blends a low-data online hub with in-person training, structured learning pathways, resource audits and School Environmental Management Plans to make environmental action achievable and measurable. By strengthening teachers’ confidence and capacity, we aim to nurture environmentally literate citizens and empower schools to become centres of sustainability.
Sustainable Schools guides teachers through a clear, gamified journey that makes sustainability action easy to start, track and sustain. Teachers log into a low-data online hub where they access curriculum-aligned lessons, structured learning pathways and a series of practical sustainability challenges. These challenges replace complex planning processes by breaking environmental action into simple, achievable steps that teachers can complete with their learners. Each challenge includes guidance, resources, examples and reflection activities, helping teachers build confidence as they progress.
With support from Sustainability Coaches, teachers choose a focus area and begin completing challenges that lead to visible improvements in their school, such as indigenous gardens, biodiversity monitoring, water-saving systems, waste-reduction initiatives, composting and food gardens. Teachers document progress by uploading evidence, earning points and badges, and celebrating milestones through a Sustainability Star system that recognises whole-school engagement.
Workshops, peer sharing and partner engagements reinforce the digital experience, ensuring teachers feel supported both online and in-person. Learners take leadership in the hands-on projects, while the hub’s tracking tools make progress transparent and motivating. The combined effect is a practical, joyful and scalable model for embedding sustainability into everyday teaching, school systems and community culture.
Sustainable Schools has spread rapidly through strong partnerships, teacher networks and the accessibility of our low-data hub. From a small pilot, it has reached 200+ schools across six provinces, driven largely by word of mouth and collaborations with NGO partners who deliver workshops, coaching and project support in their regions. SACE-endorsed training, peer sharing, community events, and our national Rewards Ceremony further accelerate uptake. Recognition, such as the SANParks Kudu Award for Innovation (2025) and Environmental Education (2024), and the Eco-logic Eco-community Award, has strengthened credibility, helping the model spread across diverse schools and provinces.
We recently transformed our School Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) process from a once-a-year, form-based assessment into a dynamic, gamified planning and tracking system. Previously, teachers completed lengthy forms and only received feedback at the end of the year, which made it difficult to maintain momentum or monitor progress.
The new model breaks sustainability action into clear, achievable challenges that teachers complete with their learners. Each challenge generates instant feedback, points and progress indicators, allowing teachers to see their growth in real time. Evidence uploads, automated guidance and a live leaderboard help schools track their achievements and celebrate milestones throughout the year.
This shift has made planning and reporting more engaging, more transparent and far more motivating. It also supports continuous learning rather than annual compliance, helping schools sustain action and build a culture of ongoing improvement.
Schools or partners begin by registering on the Sustainable Schools Hub (beta.sustainableschools.natureconnect.earth) and connecting with their dedicated School Coordinator. Teachers then attend a short online onboarding workshop and complete a simple needs analysis to identify their school’s starting point. Once onboarded, teachers explore the Hub - a low-data, mobile-friendly platform that provides access to curriculum-aligned teaching materials, activity ideas, and a structured, gamified action pathway.
Teachers select a sustainability focus area and begin completing practical, step-by-step challenges with their learners. Each challenge provides clear guidance, resources, reflection prompts and examples, helping teachers plan and implement sustainability activities at their school without needing specialised expertise. Teachers upload evidence, earn points, receive instant feedback, and progress toward Sustainability Stars, making planning and reporting easy, interactive and motivating.
Throughout the process, teachers receive ongoing mentorship from a dedicated Coordinator and can connect with the wider national network of schools, partners and workshop opportunities. Learners engage through real-world action projects at school - such as gardening, biodiversity monitoring, waste reduction or water-saving activities - while teachers use the Hub to manage the journey, track progress and celebrate achievements.
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