2024 Central Coast, MidCoast and Hunter Region Sustainnovation Challenge Series
2024 Central Coast, MidCoast and Hunter Region Sustainnovation Challenge Series
The 2024 Sustainnovation Challenge Series for the Central Coast, MidCoast, and Hunter Region is proudly supported by the NSW Government’s RIEP program.
The series aims to involve young individuals in these regions’ ongoing economic transition dialogue. By empowering them to explore the challenges and opportunities through a human-centric lens, our goal is to see them contribute innovative ideas and perspectives to inform decisions about their regions’ future.
Having finalised our challenge themes and locking in venues & key partners to deliver the challenges, we have commenced locking schools in to participate in the challenge series that will take place across term 2.
As the number of positions available is limited and in high demand, we urge schools and teachers from all regions to secure their spot in the challenges sooner rather than later.
We are here and ready to help you if you need more information. Please contact your local Senior Project Officer from RIEP or the Sustainnovation Challenge delivery team.
We hope to see you at a challenge soon!
The Challenges
The 2024 Central Coast, MidCoast and Hunter Region Sustainnovation Challenge series is centred around the theme of ‘Transitioning Economies,’ a deliberate alignment with the ongoing discussions and decisions shaping these regions for long-term sustainability within the broader context of NSW and Australia’s economy.
Acknowledging the region’s expansion and the critical imperative for transformative shifts—driven by necessities like industry diversification, decarbonisation, and embracing circular economy principles to stay pertinent in the emerging Newconomy—the student challenges examine human-centric aspects within this transformative context. These human-centric, transformation-focused inquiries will see students exploring questions surrounding education and skills, place and livability, digital equity, employment opportunities, social infrastructure, community connection, housing affordability, inclusion, and diversity.
Challenges have been designed for a specific location within a region, aiming to facilitate an exploration of the aspects of transitioning economies and communities for that area.
The nature and focus of the challenges will provide a compelling reason and opportunity for a diverse range of students to participate, contributing to a richer and more inclusive dialogue on the challenges and opportunities inherent in the region’s transformation.
Central Coast - Innovating For Food
Embracing the challenge of skills and workforce development, students in the Central Coast Sustainnovation Challenge will devise strategies to ensure emerging economic drivers and industries on the Central Coast have a robust pipeline of talent to drive growth and prosperity for the region’s future.
- Setup: Two-day, off-site excursion.
- Challenges Dates: June 12 & 13
- Location: University of Newcastle, Ourimbah Campus
- Cost: Free, refreshments and lunch provided.
- Students & Challenge: Teams of 4-7 students (max 3 teams per school) will lean into and share their perspectives and ideas to overcome the emerging skills and workforce shortage challenges facing the Central Coast’s emerging food innovation and processing sector.
- School Supports: We want students from across the local government area to participate in this challenge. Please get in touch with us to discuss transport and or other specific requirements.
Download Challenge Educator Information Flyer
Upper Hunter - Workforce for Our Future
- Setup: Two-day, off-site excursion.
- Challenges Dates: May 22 & 23
- Location: Singelton Youth Venue
- Cost: Free refreshments and lunch provided.
- Students & Challenge: Students in teams (4-7 students – max three teams per school) with support from industry, government and researchers will lean into the question of how we promote a region and its careers for the future.
- School Support: We want students from across the local government areas to participate in this challenge. Please get in touch with us to discuss transport and or other specific requirements.
Lower Hunter - Diversity at the decsion making table
The Lower Hunter Region is experiencing rapid growth, which is presenting unique challenges to the livability of their communities. To address these challenges, we are inviting students to participate in a challenge that aims to connect them with a livability issue affecting their community. The students will explore and develop innovative ideas that will give them and their peers a say in the planning and decision-making processes. This will ensure that their voices are heard and considered when discussing matters that will impact their future and the future of their communities.
- Setup: Two-day, off-site excursion.
- Challenges Dates: May 29 & 30
- Location: Maitland Town Hall
- Cost: Free, refreshments and lunch provided.
- Students & Challenge: Students in teams (4-7 students – max 3 teams per school) with support from industry, government and researchers will lean into the question of how we get young people at the decision-making and planning table.
School Support: We want students from across the local government area to participate in this challenge. Please get in touch with us to discuss transport and or other specific requirements
Download Challenge Educator Information Flyer
MidCoast - Digital Equity for Economic Growth
The MidCoast region significantly trails national and state averages in digital accessibility and affordability. This discrepancy underscores a need for foundational digital infrastructure, posing risks to the region’s economic future.
Collaborating with community, government, and industry stakeholders, secondary students from the MidCoast will actively engage with these digital challenges. Their task is twofold: identifying root causes and proposing innovative solutions to bridge the digital divide.
Left unaddressed, this digital inequity threatens to disadvantage both our people and industries for years to come. We look to our young innovators to unlock solutions and propel our region towards a digitally empowered future.
- Setup: Two day, off-site excursion.
- Challenges Dates: August 7 & 8
- Location: Taree Universities Campus
- Cost: Free, refreshments and lunch provided.
- Students & Challenge: Students in teams (4-7 students – max 3 teams per school) with support from industry, government and researchers, will lean into the Digital Inequity challenge impacting the MidCoast local community and economy.
- School Supports: We want students from across the local government areas to participate in this challenge. Please get in touch with us to discuss transport and or other specific requirements.
Download Challenge Educator Information Flyer
Greater Newcastle - A Port for Our Future
How do we cultivate a diverse talent pipeline for a thriving Newcastle Port? As a historic economic driver, the Port of Newcastle is now preparing for a transformative shift towards clean energy and a circular economy. In this Sustainnovation Challenge, students collaborate to innovate education outreach strategies, ensuring a skilled and diverse workforce shapes our port’s prosperous future.
- Setup: Two-three day, off-site excursion.
- Challenges Dates: June 26 & 27
- Optional site visit: June 25
- Location: Port of Newcastle (Venue TBA)
- Cost: Free refreshments and lunch provided.
- Students & Challenge: Students in teams (4-7 students – max 3 teams per school) with support from industry, government and researchers will lean into the question: how do we connect and inspire secondary students from across the Hunter, and further afield, to connect with their Port of the Future and its potential career corridors and pathways?
- School Supports: We want students from across the local government area to participate in this challenge. Please get in touch with us to discuss transport and or other specific requirements.
Download Challenge Educator Information Flyer
The Student ExperiEnce
Educator notes & Tips
Challenge Capacity – Sustainnovation Challenges are capped at sixty students. Register your teams, 4 – 6 students, a maximum of three per school, early to save your place/seats in a challenge, then find the students. We have a wait list for schools that miss out.
Student Participation – The program and its content are curated for stage 5 and 6 students. Students who excel in the Sustainnovation Challenge programs have interests in humanities, geography, creative arts, business/economics, gifted learning, leadership, and social justice. However, we are syllabus and stage-agnostic. If you see the program being a good fit for any student in your school who is looking for opportunities to extend themselves we’d love seeign them at a challenge. Big Tip – think diversity first.
Eligibility – The Central Coast, MidCoast and Hunter Challenges are open to all schools across the regions. If you connect with a topic but are not situated in the area you are more than welcome to register a team for this challenge outside of your area.
Opportunities – Like the challenge themes but not the challenge structure, let us know. We also have opportunities for teachers to deliver a Sustainnovation Challenge in the classroom. These resources are readily available for you to roll out a challenge over 8-10 lessons at a time that works for you.
Industry, Business, Government and Community INVOLVEMENT
The Sustainnovation Challenge program comes to life when industry, business, government and community get involved.
Please feel free to download the Delivery Partner Prospectus for the Challenge Series.
If you would like to discuss how you could be associated with the curation or delivery of this challenge series, please feel free to contact us.
Hey there, educators! Don't miss out on an exciting challenge ahead. Reserve your place now before it's too late. Please note, if a challenge is over-subscribed, schools will be put on a waitlist, so act fast and secure your spot! Remember to contact us if you have any questions.
Reach out or connect
Don’t hesitate to contact the team if you have any questions.