Kids teaching kids conference builds relationships and knowledge

More than 250 students from 21 schools across the Sunshine Coast  learned about the environment from each other at the 2017 Kids in Action Kids Teaching Kids conference at Lake Kawana Community Centre today (August 31).

Students performed presentations and completed workshops on everything from flying-foxes and butterflies to waste management and portable reusable gardens.

Designed for students from Years 5-8, Kids in Action aims to increase children’s environmental knowledge and understanding, while providing opportunities for positive environmental and sustainability action.

Supported by partners Unitywater, the theme for this year’s Kids in Action is Relationships Matter, with students exploring the important ecological relationships that are fundamental to a healthy functioning eco-system and reflecting on the relationships they have with important places and spaces and with each other.

The conference encouraged students to take responsibility for their learning through the planning and delivery of environmental projects.

The first part of Kids in Action 2017, Environmental Projects Day, took place in May at two venues with students actively engaged in a variety of real-life natural resource management and citizen science activities.

Environment Portfolio Councillor Jenny McKay said Sunshine Coast Council was proud to support the award-winning program which aimed to increase each student’s environmental knowledge and understanding.

“This is the sixth year council has been proud to host this exciting program and it gets bigger and better every year,” Cr McKay said.

“What makes Kids in Action so successful is the kids teaching kids approach to learning that underpins it.

“This approach partners schools with local environmental experts and engages our students actively in learning about local environmental issues.”

Students also welcomed special guest visitors including Frankie the flying-fox and finished the day with a traditional smoking ceremony with the Gubbi Gubbi Dance Troupe.

For more information on Kids in Action, or to register your interest in your school taking part in next year’s event, visit council’s website or follow our events on Facebook.