Proposal: A Cantata to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Aboriginal leader William Cooper’s unique protest against “Kristallnacht.” What this project entails: The Cantata will involve a multi-disciplinary approach that will incorporate a chamber orchestra, chamber choir, two vocal soloists, enhanced staging and audio-visuals. The Cantata’s duration will be approximately 35 minutes. The significance and importance of this project: The 80th anniversary of “Kristallnacht” this year comes at a time when Holocaust survivors are rapidly diminishing, coupled with increasing concerns about current extremism, racial hatred and apathy. In this milieu, a hero like Aboriginal leader William Cooper serves as a role model for social justice, activism and “Tikkun Olam” (mending a broken world). The Cantata has both artistic and educational value, being highly relevant to a generation that has become increasingly detached and indifferent to the tragic events of the Holocaust. While the Cantata depicts the events leading to the Nazi Pogrom, the underlying message, personified by William Cooper, is that we should eschew apathy and live according to our convictions based on integrity and social justice. While the Cantata artistically describes the horrors of “Kristallnacht,” it concludes with a note of optimism in which William Cooper’s vision of basic human decency and social justice are held as values to strive for and acted upon in a turbulent world.

There's no excuse for single use! John Monash Science School (JMSS) has a vision to become single use plastic-free by 2020. We are a small ambassador team of passionate year 10 and 11 students who are working with Plastic Oceans Australasia to investigate the plastic habits of our school and generate innovative and effective ideas that we will put in place to become totally single use plastic-free. We want to do this to eliminate our contributions to the global plastic problem which is having and will continue to have devastating effects on all aspects of the environment. By making these changes we hope to inspire other schools around the country to join us on the journey to kick single use plastics out!

Carlton North Primary School has the vision to develop a garden highlighting the indigenous vegetation of our community and the significance of individual plants and animals. The garden will be developed in collaboration with the students, traditional owners and community with the aims to: - further develop relationships with students, traditional owners and Community, - improve understanding and appreciation of Indigenous culture, - enhance habitat for ecologically and culturally significant native species within school grounds, - reconnect students and teachers with biodiversity, by building a powerful connection to a native species, and - deliver health and well-being benefits to school children and community through engagement with nature.