Grade 5/6 students at St Ambrose Primary School in Woodend undertook an important project this semester, addressing a critical issue: the increasing risk of bushfires in Australia.
Worsened by climate change, these events are becoming more frequent and severe, posing significant challenges to communities.
Current research emphasises the value of place-based, action-oriented bushfire education to help children and their communities achieve better outcomes in times of crisis.
This initiative, developed by the CFA Bushfire Education Unit in collaboration with Dr Briony Towers from Natural Hazards Research Australia, aims to equip students with life-saving knowledge while enhancing teamwork, problem-solving and communication skills.
As a culmination of their work in the ‘Bushfire Education’ unit, the grade 5/6 students hosted an expo to showcase their projects focused on bushfire readiness.
The projects tackled vital topics such as:
• Caring for families, pets, farm animals and the elderly during bushfires.
• Developing checklists, videos and posters to communicate essential safety messages.
• Home fire readiness, demonstrated through dioramas that illustrated good and poor property preparation, including the impact of fuel load reduction on minimising fire damage to infrastructure.
The expo was attended by students from all grade levels, as well as parents, grandparents and community members.
Special guests included representatives from the local CFA and SES, Neil Munro from the CFA Bushfire Education, Fire Risk, Research and Community Preparedness Unit, Dr Briony Towers from Natural Hazards Research Australia, Jane Diplock from Emergency Management and Community Recovery at Macedon Ranges Shire Council, Cr Janet Pearce, and mayor Dom Bonanno.
Another notable attendee was Tom Lowe, a volunteer with the Woodend CFA and a documentary maker who has recorded the students’ learning throughout the semester.
The event was a resounding success, and the talented students earned high praise from everyone who attended. Their hard work and creativity shone through in every project, making the expo a truly memorable occasion.
