Hidden treasures and some marvellous monotremes …
Treasures of the Meander Valley The Meander Valley 100 Day Challenge is well underway with 30 students, teachers and community volunteers and up to 100 inspiring locals working together on Meander Valley Treasures.
This student-led initiative will focus on celebrating inspiring local people.
The students believe treasures come in many forms and ages and have defined a treasure as: a person who is an icon in the local community; someone who has made a unique change to the local community; a leader of a group or club; someone who holds important information about the history of the community; someone the students are intrigued by; or just someone who makes you feel good.
The students will interview, film and photograph local treasures for the purpose of feeling more connected to their local community and letting people know they are appreciated for the good things they do and the interesting lives they lead.
Supporting the students in their endeavour, Mr Aaron Gilligan, Year 9 and 10 Coordinator at Deloraine High School, said, ‘I’m excited to work together with students as they bring to light the hidden treasures within our community’.
Plastic and platypuses don’t mix
This will be one of the lessons that Mole Creek and Deloraine students will learn when Australia’s ‘Professor Platypus’ visits them later this month.
Dr Geoff Williams, biologist and co-founder of the Australian Platypus Conservancy APC, is giving special platypus education classes to Deloraine and Mole Creek primary and secondary schools on Monday 28 October.
Dr Williams is touring northern Tasmania with fellow biologist and co-founder of the APC, Dr Serena Melody, to promote monitoring and protection of local platypus populations and habitat. The pair have been invited to Meander Valley by Project Platypus, another student-led 100 Day Challenge initiative co-designed by students, teachers and local community volunteers.
About the 100 Day Challenge
The 100 Day Challenge is a community-driven, student-led collaboration of young people, teachers and volunteers from the local community, working together to provide hands on learning opportunities for students.
At a recent community workshop focused on youth engagement and mental health, students chose the theme of ‘hands on learning’ and came up with the ideas of Meander Valley Treasures and Project Platypus as two of five key projects to assist students to find more meaningful pathways of study or employment beyond Year 10.
The 100 Day Challenge is a project supported by Westbury Health, The Van Diemen Project, Devil’s Advocate, Deloraine High School, Collective ed. and Meander Valley Council.
Further information can be obtained from Kristen Toohey, Community Engagement and Communications Facilitator, Collective ed. on 0417 043 032 or by email to kristen.toohey@ beaconfoundation.net.
