The Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s School Sustainability and Resilience Fund is now open for community voting. This year, the fund has $85,000 available for environmental sustainability and climate change projects in schools and early childhood education centers, thanks to a $50,000 boost from TECT, BayTrust, and Trust Horizon.
The fund uses a method called participatory budgeting, where the community votes on which projects they want to see funded. Schools and early childhood education centers have submitted their project plans to the Regional Council, and 39 of these projects have met the fund’s criteria.
The community can vote on their favorite projects until May 10. Bay of Plenty Regional Council Chief Executive Fiona McTavish encourages everyone to vote, even if they don’t have a direct connection with any of the education providers.
Last year, the fund supported projects such as a hydroponics system at Trident High School, a seed library at Waihi Beach Primary School, and new bike and scooter racks at Lynmore Primary School.
A second round of voting will take place during Youth Week (May 20-25), and all Bay of Plenty residents aged 12-24 are encouraged to participate.
To cast your vote, visit www.participate.boprc.govt.nz/ssrf. The voting round closes on May 10.
