We won, we won!
Environment Victoria wins an ‘Oscar of Australian Science’
Wednesday, 18 August 2010
Environment Victoria’s hands-on work with the community has won the $10,000 Eureka Prize for the Advancement of Climate Change Knowledge. And we’re proud!
The prize was awarded in Sydney on August 17, for our innovative programs working face-to-face with migrants and refugees, young people, seniors and the economically disadvantaged to empower these groups to raise awareness of climate change within their own community, and help others live more sustainably.
The Eureka Prizes are Australia’s most prestigious science awards, and are usually only won by senior scientists and large research institutions, so we were pretty excited to win.
“Environment Victoria has been working hard with the community for years and it’s an absolute honour to have that work recognised with such a prestigious prize,” said our CEO, Kelly O’Shanassy. “But this prize doesn’t just recognise our work, it recognises that communities everywhere, and people from all walks of life can be a part of the solution.”
Because it’s our partners and the community which make our programs so good, we invited Surmeli Aydogan to accept the award on our behalf. She’s president of the Alevi Community Council, which partnered with us on our GreenTown project in Melbourne’s north. The Alevi Community Council is one of more than 40 hard working organisations who have partnered with us in delivering dozens of sustainable living projects over the last few years. It's been a pleasure working with them!
Despite being tempted to spend the $10,000 prize money on champagne and chocolate, we'll be re-investing it where it's needed - in reaching even more Victorian communities with the climate change message.
We would like to thank our financial supporters - without them our work would not have been possible. Thank you to the Victorian Government through Sustainability Victoria and Sustainability Fund as well as the Department of Sustainability and Environment. Also to City West Water, Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation, Brimbank City Council Community Grants, The ETA Basan Charitable Trust managed by Trust Company Limited, Foster's Community Grants, Ivor Ronald Evans Foundation managed by Equity Trustees, South East Water, The Ian Potter Foundation, The Ledger Charitable Trust & Norman H. Johns Trust managed by Perpetual Trustees; The Jack Brockhoff Foundation; The Reichstein Foundation, Department of Planning and Community Development, Yarra Valley Water, Fouress Foundation, Metlink, City of Greater Dandenong and Moonee Valley City Council.
Catch photos of the night here
For more on our programs (sorry our award winning programs!) check out:
Multicultural Leaders in Sustainability
GreenTown
Comments
That's fantastic
Congratulations to you all, from all of us at Weave Web.
Thanks guys!
We're pretty chuffed. :D