The two schools are among 11 local schools to benefit from Newcrest's Cadia Valley Operations (CVO).

The grants are used to implement environmental projects and educate students about the importance of responsible environmental management.

The $500 EnviroSmart grants will be used to assist teachers and their students in developing projects as part of their school environmental management plan, similar to those practiced at mines like CVO.

Tasks as simple as recycling classroom waste or creating schoolyard composts encourage students to think about the wider environment and how other organisations in their community responsibly manage their environmental impacts.

CVO General Manager, Tony McPaul said the EnviroSmart awards program aims to increase student awareness of the importance of responsible environmental management and to recognise environmental excellence in schools.

"Teaching students how to compost, plant trees and identify weeds will provide them with lifelong skills that will not only benefit them, but their surrounding local communities," Mr McPaul said.

"As an industry we work hard to minimise our environmental impacts and through the EnviroSmart program, we are encouraging students and schools to innovate and do the same in their own schoolyards."

CVO has awarded more than 90 EnviroSmart grants and $45,000 in funding to assist local schools since 2006.

Schools receiving funding from CVO in 2015:

n Clergate Public School - Chicken coop.

n Spring Terrace Public School - Recycling initiative.

n Cumnock Public School

- Tree planting to prevent erosion.

n Canowindra Public School

- Permaculture vegetable garden.

n Mandurama Public School - Tree planting.

n Mullion Creek Public School - Weed identification.

n Neville Public School - Native sensory garden.

n Orange High School - Tree planting.

n Nashdale Public School

- Paddock to plate vegetable garden.

n Orange East Public School - Vegetable garden.

n Bowen Public School - Portable compost bins