The Kids Will Change The World Through Project Sea Turtle
Mandy Marechal is one the co-founders of Take 3 and is out in the community or in schools for most of the year with fellow co-founders Tim Silverwood and Roberta Dixon-Valk.
Through the Take 3 Schools Program, there is a focus on emotionally connecting the children to the meaning behind picking up rubbish and reducing waste so they understand why it’s important and why they should care. As well, empowering with the ideas and opportunities they have to make and effect significant change for their world.
A ‘premiere’ offering in Take 3’s suite of schools packages is a regional schools program called Project Green Sea Turtle. The project brings together student representatives from a number of schools for a day dedicated to ‘education that inspires participation’.
Our most recent Project Green Sea Turtle workshop was held on May 29, 2018 at Forster Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC) on the Mid North Coast of NSW with fifty-four students from nine schools and eighteen teachers and educators.
By encouraging students to personally identify with the plastic pollution issue, workshops are designed to engage the whole school community in lateral thinking and problem solving to create and present campaigns on changing behaviour and stop litter at its source.
Mandy Marechal who has been out on the road rolling out the program this year says it’s about giving the students a practical understanding, connection and opportunity into what they can do. “The objective of the program is to allow students to recognise, develop and implement site specific solutions to local plastic pollution issues and to take ownership of the issue.
“We had six student representatives from each schools environmental teams and student representative Committees, from nine primary school’s across the Mid Coast local government areas attended the one day workshop. It focused on outlining the marine debris issues through a hero species, in this case the Green Sea Turtle. Students learnt student leadership skills with indigenous/cultural perspectives, creative engagement through arts and dance, sustainable solutions and marine debris auditing procedures.”
Take 3, Local Land Services, Midcoast Council, Midcoast Waste, Australian Sea Bird Rescue, local business and Aboriginal Cultural representatives from the Worimi Land Council have been working together on the collaborative community project and delivery. Mandy said “The workshop addresses impacts of plastic pollution, leadership, campaign ideas and implementation and water quality information. The historical and cultural importance of waterways to local Aboriginal people and traditional mediums of communication such as art, dance and storytelling as a way of spreading the message.
The campaigns from each school in this current program will be presented on 7 August, 2018 and will be shared with out Take 3 community. These programs are having a real impact on the next generation and they way they live their lives.
The project was supported by Hunter Local Land Services and Mid Coast Council, under funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.
Take 3 are currently taking bookings for activities like Project Green Sea Turtle. Please contact us for more information or to make a booking.
Featured on Prime News, Tuesday 29th May, 2018
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