Open Education | WithOneSeed

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We’ve working to build knowledge, one insight at a time

Education and training are key elements to the success of the WithOneSeed initiative.

Understanding our fragile planet and our impact upon it is vital for life-long learning. We need to provide current and future generations with knowledge and skills to better understand climate issues and the actions needed.

WithOneSeed’s open education program is called WithOnePlanet, a new inquiry-based teaching and learning system that focuses on climate change through three themes: Carbon, Culture and Citizenship.

The online resources for years F to 10 are aligned to Australian curriculum and coordinated for whole-school integration across multiple subjects.

Climate change is a global challenge impacting all countries in different ways. WithOnePlanet explores climate change issues through the science, english, maths, geography, history, art, civics and citizenship curriculums and looks at opportunities to make our region a more interesting and a better place.

Open education is a collective term to describe institutional practices and programmatic initiatives that broaden access to the learning and training traditionally offered through formal education systems.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_education

WithOneSeed’s open education program supports school communities from Australia to connect with village-based schools in Timor Leste, to establish collaborative learning and to support each other through educational and awareness-raising programs.

In Timor Leste, Village Learning Centres provide access to 21st-century communications technology. This provides people living in village communities with access to education, training and e-learning opportunities that are universally accessible in Australia.

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INQuIRY teaching and learning

WithOnePlanet is a new integrated inquiry-based teaching and learning system with curriculum resources focused on climate change education through 3 themes: Carbon, Culture and Citizenship. Resources for years F to 10 are aligned to Australian curriculum for whole-school integration across multiple subjects. (note that funding for development of the curriculum resources was received from the Australian Department of Education.)

Carbon futures program

Carbon futures is an engaging, inquiry-based program developed by WithOneSeed in association with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne.

The Carbon futures program takes students out of the classroom and into the bush to gain a practical look at carbon in the environment. Students will learn about how carbon works in different natural systems through ocean acidification experiments and measuring carbon in trees. Students will also discover the many other services a forest has to offer people anywhere on the planet. The program also aims to connect schools in Australia with subsistence school communities in Timor Leste, as part of WithOneSeed’s open education and reforestation initiatives.

The program is available as a field trip to the Royal Botanic Gardens, throughout Australia. Teachers can arrange a Carbon futures field trip for their class by making direct contact with the Royal Botanic Gardens Education Program (add contact link)

Australia and Timor Leste

The programs encourage school communities in Australia to connect with village-based schools in Timor Leste, to establish collaborative learning and to support each other through educational and awareness-raising programs. In primary and lower secondary school years, schools can connect through technology such as e-books, e-pals through cultural story sharing activities. In upper secondary school, connections can be made using technology and also through the WithOnePlanet exchange programs.

Vocational education and training

Open education opportunities also include skills training resources in agroforestry, permaculture and technology for students, farmers and the community through the Village Learning Centre. Train the trainer programs focus on building the skills and knowledge of Baguia tree farmers and the broader community.

Environment Education Week

WithOneSeed in association with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne has facilitated Environmental Education Week in Baguia, Timor Leste in 2013 and 2014. Over 1100 students, teachers and community members have participated in the programs. In 2013 the events theme was the Carbon Futures program. In 2014 the event theme was Plants, People and Place.

Progress to date

Development of the WithOnePlanet initiative
Development of F to 10 education modules: carbon, culture and citizenship
Over 1100 students, teachers and community members participating in the Environmental Education Week in Baguia in 2013 and 2014
Village Learning Centre in Baguia, provides access to the internet and educational resources to 14,000 people
Development and release of the MyCarbonCapture education app that allows students to monitor the carbon emissions generated from their mobile phone use
Establishment of a School Gardens Program to engage the 35 schools across the sub-district of Baguia
Commencement of revised (international) edition of the Tropical Permaculture Guidebook – from East Timor
Delivery of the 5-day Master Tree Growers (train the trainer) program in Timor Leste in partnership with the Australian Agroforestry Foundation.

WithOneSeed's open education story in pictures

Using technology, WithOneSeed connects St Joseph’s Secondary School in Baguia with St Michael’s Grammar School in St Kilda, Melbourne. This was the first time the students in Baguia had experienced the internet. Connecting schools in the region, will establish collaborative learning and support through educational and awareness-raising programs.

Teachers participate in a plant identification workshop as part of WithOneSeed’s – Baguia Education Week. Education Week was attended by over 600 students, teachers and members of the community in 2013 and over 1100 in 2014. The program was developed by WithOneSeed in association with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne.

Students in Baguia participate in video interviews being produced by WithOneSeed – Open education series called In my back yard. The series seeks to find out what young people in both Australia and Timor Leste think about their environment, climate change and the actions needed to replenish the planet.

WithOneSeed hosted a plant identification workshop in a remnant forest, as part of the Baguia Education Week 2014. Many students walked long distances to reach the destination, which was an extraordinary day for all involved.

Village Learning Centres provides access to 21st-century communications technology. This provides people living in village communities with access to education, training and e-learning opportunities that are universally accessible in Australia.

A school at the top of the mountain. WithOneSeed works to connect the 35 schools in the sub-district of Baguia with schools in Australia to support each other through educational and awareness-raising programs.

Out of the classroom and into the bush! Year 10 students from Melbourne Girls' College participate in the Carbon futures program at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne. The program was developed by WithOneSeed in association with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne.

Year 6 students from St Agatha’s Primary School participate in the Carbon futures program at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne. Students learn about how carbon works in different natural systems through ocean acidification experiments and measuring carbon in trees. Students also discover the many other services a forest has to offer people anywhere on the planet.

Students from around Victoria participated in WithOneSeed’s Technology consumption census workshops in 2013 and 2014 at the annual Environment Conference, hosted by Melbourne Girls' College, Richmond.

As part of a week-long visit to Australia, teachers from Indonesia and India (sponsored by the Australian Conservation Foundation), participate in the Carbon futures program at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne.

WithOneSeed has supervised seven semester-long Capstone projects with the University of Melbourne, over the past four years. Capstone provides third and fourth year commerce students with opportunities to work with a social enterprise. Topics for research have included certification, sequestration, business and economic models, and evaluation and e-learning strategies.

Teachers participate in the Carbon futures program at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne. WithOneSeed’s – Open education resources called WithOnePlanet, support teachers to take the program back to the classroom. The education resources focus on Carbon, Culture and Citizenship. The resources are aligned with the Australian curriculum for Years Foundation to 10.