STUDENTS from St Stephen’s School in Duncraig have taken out top prize at the National Finals of the Future Problem Solving Competition in Queensland and will travel to the USA next year to compete in the international round of the event.
Gifted Program Coordinator Shirley Houston and five lucky students were presented with their award at Sea World on the Gold Coast on Sunday, October 18.
The Year 6 students entered their PALS project titled ‘Sowing The Seeds’ into the Junior division of the competition’s Community Problem Solving category.
“The competition was pretty fierce,” Ms Houston says.
“The students were absolutely thrilled to win.”
PALS is an initiative of the Department of Indigenous Affairs in partnership with BHP Billiton that encourages young Western Australians to develop projects that promote and advance Reconciliation.
The students have been working on a joint project with Culunga Aboriginal Community School to create a vegetable and fruit garden in order to encourage healthy eating habits.
Ms Houston says Culunga students eat both breakfast and lunch at the school so having a vegetable garden on site has been of great benefit.
Channel Nine’s Garden Gurus helped to establish the garden with many other community members, parents and organisations helping out as well.
Ms Houston says that the project has had many positive outcomes in addition to the health focus.
Culunga students have enjoyed working in the garden leading to improved self-esteem while the St Stephen’s pupils have been able to learn more about Indigenous culture and the issues affecting their community.
“They really love being together,” Ms Houston says.
“The fact that they’ve been working together has made friendships easier to form.”
A group of students from St Stephen’s will travel to the USA for the international round of the Future Problem Solving Competition in June next year with the event taking place at the University of Wisconsin.
They will spend one week billeted with local families.
