History
From a group of volunteers in 1992 promoting environmental education, Live & Learn is now operating in eight countries and has expanded its scope to sustainable livelihood development and the conservation of environmental resources.
The work of Live & Learn Environmental Education began in 1992 as volunteers, teachers primarily from northern Queensland, Australia , provided environmental education programs regarding rainforest and reef conservation to local school children. In 1997, the volunteers assessed their work and realized that biological education only was not leading to better community conservation. With renewed energy, Live & Learn redesigned its efforts to promote environmental, action-focused education in the South Pacific.
Our first country office was opened in the Solomon Islands in 1995 and spread to eight countries by 2009. As locally registered NGOs, Live & Learn operates offices in Fiji and Vanuatu (1998), Papua New Guinea (2000), Cambodia (2004), the Maldives (2006), Vietnam (2009) and Indonesia (2010). Local Program Managers help Live & Learn strengthen the efficacy of our work and promote long-term relationships with governments and civil society. Due to their valuable insights and skills, Live & Learn ensures that innovative projects are culturally appropriate and relevant.
Considering poor literacy rates across the Pacific and Asia , Live & Learn partners with a broad range of communities and community members to promote formal and informal education. For example, through our RiverCare Program in Fiji , Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands , and Papua New Guinea over 131 schools participate in water quality monitoring activities to protect some of the South Pacific's most environmentally endangered rivers and inform communities in order to make management decisions. This is just one of over 40 projects we have successfully completed supporting civic engagement, formal and non-formal education, environmental stewardship, and sustainable development.
In 2000, Live & Learn Environmental Education Inc. became an officially recognized Australian NGO and a signatory to the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) Code of Conduct. The Melbourne International Office coordinates and supports all administrative activities for country office programs.
To promote active citizenship in Australia and provide ongoing capacity building to remote staff, we currently host volunteers sponsored by Australian Volunteers International and other volunteering organisations. We also seek out opportunities to promote international awareness via participation in school forums, community groups, and professional conferences. We act as a resource for university students pursuing careers in international development and humanitarian relief work across the South Pacific.
Today, Live & Learn specializes in community participatory education to promote sustainable livelihood development and conservation of environmental resources in some of the most vulnerable communities and biologically diverse regions in Asia and the South Pacific.
Live & Learn offices throughout the world are guided by the Live & Learn Good Practice Manual which outlines the policies and procedures in place for the organisation.
