Late last week (17 November) the 17th Attorney General's 2016 Resilient Australia Awards was hosted by Melbourne Museum and the National School Award was won by Anglesea Primary School for its involvement in the Anglesea Fire Education Partnership – Survive and Thrive Program.
Anglesea Fire Education Partnership is between CFA Anglesea Fire Brigade and the local primary school. The Survive and Thrive Program is a pilot program in CFA. It's a bushfire education program delivered by the partnership that has been running at Anglesea Primary School for three years and is integrated into the school’s curriculum as weekly fire education lessons.
The program teaches students about bushfire behaviour, encourages them to lead community-based bushfire education sessions and aims to drive generational change whilst increasing community resilience.
During the programs duration pupils have created eight unique bushfire education workshops, interviewed bushfire survivors, staged the After the Ashes exhibition, created a book and developed The Fire Game in conjunction with Surf Coast Shire.
CFA Program coordinator Emma Taunt said that it was great to see such a constructive program getting the recognition it deserves.
“The program aims to empower students so they are encouraged to take on the role of educators and lead bushfire education and preparedness activities in the community,” she said.
"Australian youth deserve the opportunity to understand their environment in relation to fire, reducing their risk of fire by exploring what they and their communities can do to be better prepared to face disaster.
As a result of the program the relationship between the students, the local CFA, other emergency services and the school is very strong and we hope the program continues to grow into the future.”
Author: CFA Media