In 2017 the Mid-North Coast Sustainability Education Network undertakook a collaborative best practice sustainability education and engagement project 'Youth Against Marine Debris Challenge'. (Read project case study here).
This project was supported by AAEE NSW through their regional capacity building project and the NSW Government's Environmental Trust.
In September 2018, network members began their participation in an exciting research project led by network co-convenor Lisa Siegel from Southern Cross University- entitled "The Networking Lines and Knots of Multi-Sector Environmental Educators".
Youth Against Marine Debris Challenge
The Youth Against Marine Debris Challenge is a new community project being run by the Mid-North Coast Sustainability Education Network in partnership with NSW Department of Primary Industries- Marine Parks, Cascade Environmental Education Centre, MidWaste Regional Waste Forum, MidCoast Council and the Australian Association for Environmental Education.
Empowering youth to make a difference in their local community is extremely rewarding. As we are already aware, litter is becoming a widespread issue, it not only unaesthetically appealing but it can make its way into our oceans where it can be ingested or entangle our marine life. As youth are the future stewards of our environment it is important to promote their involvement in combating one of the biggest environmental problems we are facing; marine debris.
The Youth Against Marine Debris Challenge will involve children and young people going out and actively making a difference in their community. They will be led by teachers or community educators who will participate in Educator Training at Aldavilla Public School in Kempsey and Kororo Public School in Coffs Harbour to help reduce litter in their communities.
This project has been supported by the NSW Government’s Environmental Trust.
About our network
The Mid-North Coast Sustainability Education Network (MNCSEN) is for sustainability educators or those affiliated with sustainability education from the NSW mid-north coast region.
This region is roughly defined as anywhere along the coast and hinterland between Forster and Coffs Harbour, including Taree, Port Macquarie, Wauchope, Kempsey, Bellingen and Dorrigo.
Our Mission
MNCSEN works together and communicates regularly about sustainability education projects relevant to our region. We exist to support each other and encourage best practice sustainability education and engagement in our communities.
Read our Mid-North Coast Sustainability Education Network Sustainability Plan 2017-2020.
Our meetings
Because we are a large region, our quarterly meetings are a mix of online meetings (using the free app 'Zoom'- like Skype) and face-to-face meetings and events.
To join our network, please email us at and we will add you to our email list so that you can receive emails about upcoming MNCSEN meetings and events. We currently have around 60 members on our MNCSEN email list.
To connect online with sustainability educators in our region, find out about local sustainability education events and share your sustainability education events, please join our Facebook Group 'MNCSEN'. We currently have 95 members of our closed Facebook group.
