This week saw more than 300 students attend the 2016 Perth and Peel Regional Kids Teaching Kids conference, to confront environmental issues and work together to develop practical solutions and share their ideas.
The local conference, held on Wednesday at the Mandurah Offshore Fishing and Sailing Club, and on Thursday at the Baldivis Children’s Forest, is part of the larger national Kids Teaching Kids program, which engages about 110,000 students nationally.
A number of local schools attended, including Mandurah Baptist College, Meadow Springs Primary, St Damien’s, Halls Head College, John Tonkin, Lakelands Primary, Assumption and Frederick Irwin.
Student-run workshops addressed environmental topics like the water cycle, air pollution, sustainable fishing, deforestation and more.
City of Mandurah mayor Marina Vergone congratulated the students, teachers and volunteers involved in the event..
“Kids Teaching Kids is a wonderful program which aims to involve many schools and is a great way of sharing knowledge, passion and an understanding of the environment challenges,” Mayor Vergone said.
The City awarded $5000 to Meadow Springs Primary School so six of their students may attend the national Kids Teaching Kids Conference to be held in Melbourne.
The school helped open the conference on Wednesday, performing a play based on Shel Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree”, which they will adapt to perform at the national conference.
Meadow Springs’ year 3 teacher Jen Donohue said she was amazed at how engaged the students were for the whole two days.
“I think it was because they were hearing it from other kids their own age, I think if it had been an adult up there teaching them they would’ve zoned out quite quickly,” Ms Donohue said.
Ms Vergone said the day allowed young people to take the lead on the region’s environmental future.
“Not only is this project part of an ongoing commitment to youth and learning, it aims to engage young people particularly in the areas of sustainability and connecting communities in the coastal zone.”
As well as participating in a number of creative, environment-based activities, the students got to meet native animals with Critters Up Close, and attend a gala dinner on Wednesday night with guest speaker Aaron Johnson from John Tonkin’s Estuary Guardians, Aboriginal storytelling and singing, and a performance by Travis Green.