Moves by Broome High School students to establish an organic banana and paw paw farm, and plans by Denmark students to grow trout in salt water conditions, will become reality tonight thanks to WA's resources and education sectors working together.
The two projects, along with 21 others, were successful in winning grants of up to $1250 from BP Oil as part of the BP Education Grants for Schools program.
Resources Development and Education Minister Colin Barnett was on hand to congratulate the schools and their students, most of whom will begin their innovative projects this term.
Twenty-three high schools shared in $25,000 worth of educational grants sponsored by BP Oil in the areas of school industry links; science and technology; environmental issues; health and safety issues; and students with special needs.
Mr Barnett said the awards highlighted the ongoing partnerships between education and WA industry which ensured learning was consistent with industry needs.
Prize-winning ideas also included the establishment of a radio station to broadcast to the community of Mt Barker, an ecological water purification system for an aquaculture centre, a waste paper recycling project, a web page design to bring Dowerin students closer to industry, and rehabilitation of a city wetland which has significance to Aboriginal people.
The winners were chosen from 59 entries submitted by secondary schools, agricultural colleges and hospital educational services.
As part of their submissions, students were asked to demonstrate how their projects enhanced their learning and provided community links and benefits.
Mr Barnett said several projects concentrated on protecting the environment, which appeared to mirror community desire, and which showed that education had a direct link to industry.
"The 1999 BP Education Grants involve schools and the community in innovative and stimulating projects directly links education to community endeavour," Mr Barnett said.
"The tremendous support for the second year of the BP Awards shows the exciting potential we have within the students and staff of our WA government school system. I congratulate everyone involved."
A list of the successful projects follows.
Media contact:
Justine Whittome, Minister for Education, (08) 9222 9699
Sue McKenna, Education Department of WA, (08) 9264 5821
Diana Wardle, BP Oil - Kwinana Refinery, 041 892 1141
1999 BP AWARD WINNERS
Mount Barker Senior High School - school radio station. Students will set up a radio station which will broadcast to the Mt Barker community.
Kelmscott Senior High School - biotechnology program. Cell biology will be studied and DNA extracted in the laboratory to ensure students understand how genetic information is transmitted from organism to offspring.
Craigie Senior High School - tiger awareness project. Students learn personal and social skills, including confidence, self esteem and communication lessons, to develop leadership skills.
Kojonup District High School - water purification plant for fresh water trout pond. Toxic waste water from the school's aquaculture centre will run through a gravitational flow-through system runs into a hydroponic shed, anaerobic and aerobic algae ponds, and back as purified water to a fresh water trout pond.
Denmark Agricultural College - growing trout in salt water ponds. The project will provide research about growing trout in inland salt lakes.
Margaret River Senior High School - turning waste paper from the tip into compost for the school farm and notepads.
Safety Bay Senior High School - to grow food hydroponically. Special needs students in years eight to 10, and year 12 horticultural trainees, will benefit from hands on involvement with environmental equipment and activities.
Dowerin District High School - to get students to design web pages for the local community. The project aims to give students business acumen, increase the relevance of educational programs, forge links between students and businesses and teach computer skills.
Northampton District High School - making, advertising and marketing food products. Students will devise menus, order, prepare and deliver the food, advertise and market the products and make decisions about how profits are spent.
Narrogin Senior High School - recycling clothing for the Salvation Army Family Store. Special needs students will acquire discarded clothing and linen, wash, iron and repair the items and donate the clean, recycled product to the shop.
Balcatta Senior High School - producing a calendar. Students will take photographs and be involved in the production of a calendar, which will feature school dates, and be initially sent to parents.
Hospital School Services at Princess Margaret Hospital - buying educational CD roms for teenagers in hospital. Each patient is given an individual education program, which makes learning fun while in hospital.
Narrogin Senior High School - aerial salt survey. Year 10 aeronautics, photography and biological field studies students will record the encroachment of salt in the Arthur River headwaters in the Lake Toolibin area.
Broome Senior High School - organic banana farm. A small area of waste ground will be planted with banana palms and paw paw trees using organic methods. The fruit will be sold to the school canteen to generate small business skills.
Geraldton Secondary College - clean up of Highbury Street bushland. Paper, tins, discarded machinery and other rubbish will be cleared from the area. More plants and animals will be introduced and nurtured.
Newton Moore Senior High School, Bunbury - rehabilitation of school wetland. Science students will identify and remove exotic fauna, identify native species, establish a herbarium and collect and propagate native seeds in wetland near the school.
Kellerberrin District High School - creating a Remembrance Garden. Students will select native plants to save on water consumption for a garden, which will be used to commemorate ANZAC Day services.
Gosnells Senior High School - school recycling program. Shredded paper and grass cuttings are used to create vermi-compost and compost for a school venture, which produces and sells herbs, flowers, earthworms, compost and garden statues.
Central Midlands Senior High School, Moora - revegetate land near Moore River in Guilderton. Year 11 science students will assess, photograph, analyse water, and collect seeds and plant seedlings on 800 square metres of land, which needs revegetating.
Lakeland Senior High School, South Lake - wetland to be rehabilitated. Students will rehabilitate a wetland near the school to its original condition. They will work with the school's Aboriginal and Islander Education Workers to ensure the site has its original fauna and is significant to Aboriginal people.
Kwinana Senior High School - creating a reading and recreation area for students. Year 10 maths students will design an outdoor area for students to read or study in during school hours and to use as a recreational area during recess breaks.
Belmont Senior High School - revegetating South Belmont main drain. Thirty special needs students will collect and mulch the school's waste paper which will be used in the revegetation.
Dalwallinu District High School - plastic recycling project. The school will collect recyclable plastics, classify them and redirect them to local agents.
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