By Emma Taunt
Last week Anglesea Primary School Grade 6 students hosted an excursion for Aireys Inlet Primary School Grade 6 students – a full day event that was almost entirely student led.
Since the end of Grade 4 in 2014, these now Grade 6 students have been studying bushfire behaviour as part of the Anglesea Fire Education Partnership Survive and Thrive Program.
During the program, students are immersed in a series of sessions hosted in their local fire station and out in the local environment of the Great Otway National Park.
By the end of Grade 5 the students become the hosts of the program; teaching their family about the station and bushfire behaviour basics. By delivering workshops they've created, they engage and educate their families about bushfire. In their final year of primary school, in the program they are teaching what they have learned to a whole range of groups.
Last Thursday’s session was the first time the program has hosted a full day event that was student led. The day started with phonetic name tags, a tour of the station, a quiz, bushfire behaviour sessions and bushfire workshops, and ended by playing the fire game (a board game created by the students in collaboration with Surf Coast Shire). The local Airey’s Inlet students were in engaged in all the activities of the day, which was an impressive feat by the Anglesea Grade 6s.
Hosted by EMV, earlier in the year they taught some of Victoria’s leading fire experts, and in the coming weeks their audiences will include their peers, local community and other schools from extreme bushfire risk areas.
To experience their workshops in person come to Anglesea Fire Brigade Open Day in November. Like Anglesea Fire Brigade on Facebook to keep updated about the program and on the date of Open Day when it is confirmed.
Author: Sian Jepson