Lalor Electorate: Schools

On Wednesday, 10 September, I attended Carranballac College in Point Cook in my electorate to help launch the Kids Teaching Kids program.

The week ran from Monday, 8 September through to Friday, 12 September. It was the largest Kids Teaching Kids event in Australia, with the entire college taking part in a week-long event running workshops on environmental science. The week saw over 60 classes of children actively teaching other students and included students from neighbouring schools: Point Cook Prep-Year 9 College, Wyndham Central College, Suzanne Cory High School and Manor Lakes College.

Carranballac College has successfully participated in the Kids Teaching Kids program for five years. The focus over this time has been on wetland science, including studying the sharp-tailed sandpiper, a migratory bird which flies between Point Cook and Werribee from Siberia each year, and returns.

In both 2013 and 2014 the Carranballac students and others have presented at the state KTK conference, and the story of these young scientists and their work was recently taught to a senior high school in Korea through an exchange program between teaching staff from Victoria and the Republic of Korea. Now these young scientists who were selected for their ability and enthusiasm for science will take their workshop to the KTK International Conference in Mandurah, Western Australia from Wednesday, 29 October to Friday, 31 October. I commend their work.