Students from lower socioeconomic areas, different cultural backgrounds, different locations (e.g., rural and remote) often acquire knowledge, understanding, skills in/of their environments through everyday experience, but can often feel that they don’t quite fit the mould of traditional education practice and as such can feel disconnected, and disenfranchised. They can lose motivation/self-belief; they believe they cannot become scientists, doctors, lawyers or teachers for example. Place Based Education (PBE) provides a framework for exploring these issues, and, offers practical ways to address them. PBE uses the local environment as a starting point to teach numerous subjects. It emphasizes hands-on, real-world learning experiences. This approach can help to increase academic achievement, strengthen students’ ties to their community, enhance students’ appreciation for the natural world, and can create a heightened commitment to serving as contributing citizens (see Avery 2013*). In 2021, a collaborative ecological restoration PBE project between Curtin University (Geography), Edith Cowan University (Ecology) and Ballajura Community College (HASS/Geography) was developed to further explore these issues, challenges and possibilities. The project sought to develop students' knowledge and understanding of flora, fauna and the physical landscape on school grounds and in Ballajura. It also sought to enrich students' learning about local land uses and history, providing them with opportunities to understand the impacts of climate change locally and globally to make a difference. Moreover, through these activities, the project sought to strengthen ties between schools and universities (teachers, lecturers, students) through engaging students at an earlier age (from Year 8). This session reports on project progress to date and opens the possibility for further collaboration between Curtin University (Geography and Education), Edith Cowan University (Ecology) and Ballajura Community College).