Disaster Resilience and Awareness Education ProjectCQUniversity Australia –

Gladstone campus in partnership with Gladstone Regional Council

The Brief

• Natural Disaster Resilience Program

Increase the self-reliance of individuals, families and the general community and reduce demand for government services through community awareness and education

Key Stakeholders

• CQUniversity Gladstone BLM students and lecturers

• Gladstone Regional Council• Community services• Local Primary school students• Children at local early learning centre• Wider community attending festival events

and market days

The Plan

The Workshops•Team work•Creativity

•Planning and coordination•Critical Thinking

The Festival Float •Planning and Coordination•Information literacy

•Communication•Leadership

•Planning•ITC competence

Effective communication amongst BLM students was important to ensure goals were understood and achieved.Correspondence via email was used continually to keep everyone up to date with the latest developments and planning considerations.

•Planning and coordination•Clear expectations

•Teamwork•Creativity

•Planning and coordinating•Imaginative networking

•Community engagement•Positive exposure

•Raising awareness in the community• Community engagement

•Innovation•Information literacy

•Information literacy•Community engagement

The float provided an opportunity to foster positive and productive relationships with families in the community. It was the first event where we introduced our mascot SID Star to the wider community.

The flyer was an educational tool used to inform our audience of the steps to take during a disaster.

The Art Competition•Creativity •Information literacy

•Problem solving•Legal requirements

The art competition presented school children with the opportunity to represent through the visual art form their understandings about disasters and how to stay safe. Winning entries are to be published in SID’s Safety Calendar.

•Creativity•Engaging learning experience

•Critical thinking•Reflection

The artistic responses from the children demonstrated their awareness of recent natural disasters. In some of the artwork children not only identified the disaster but also effective rescue measures and the need for community support in such times.

SID’S Safety in Disaster Day – Kin Kora State School

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr Ali, Lyn and Julianne for their unbelievable commitment to this project and also their willing band of workers. There's some fantastic talent among them. And a big thanks must also go to Kin Kora State School and especially Kay, Leanne and Belinda for making themselves available and supporting the cause. I am sure the kids got plenty out of the project. I know my daughter, in particular did!Michelle Wagner - Manager Community Relations

The Safety in Disaster Day was planned to introduce school children to SID Star and his five safety points. After consultation with the school principal, it was determined that three sessions would be designed to cater for the learning needs of the distinct cohorts in the school.

An arts performance was presented to Prep – Year 3 students.

A community service forum was geared towards Years 4 – 6.

The Year 7 students were engaged in an interactive whiteboard lesson.

•Planning and coordination•Networks and partnerships

•Creativity•Engaging learning experience

•Communication•IT competence

•Foster positive and productive relationships

•Communication•Information literacy

•Planning and coordinating

As part of the communication process, it was imperative that all of the stakeholders were continually kept up to date with the nature and timing of the proposed proceedings.

The Performance•Effective communication•Teamwork

•Creativity•Engaging learning experience

•Information literacy•Creativity

•Teamwork•Communication

The Community Service Forum

Providing a set of questions was necessary to guide the discussion forum. The students were extremely engaged in this session as the servicemen covered topics that were relevant and related to real life experiences.

The community service forum and demonstrations were provided for the Year 4-6 students as a means to bring the students face to face with the local services. The students were given an opportunity to ask questions re the nature of the duties of police, firemen and ambulance officers in times of natural disasters.

Networking and Partnerships – CQUniversity Australia – BLM lecturers/ students; Community Services and Kin Kora Primary school principal and deputy principal – a successful and beneficial partnership.

The Learning Experience

Year 7 students were presented lessons using the interactive whiteboards and were asked to consider the flooding risks related to the Tigalee Creek area and the school. Students were asked to consider possible solutions, as well as, safety precautions needed in such times. The importance of town planning was then highlighted through the use of an interactive game.

•Problem solving•Engaging learning experiences

•Critical Thinking

•Information literacy•Critical thinking and problem solving

•Information technology competence•Quality learning experience

SID informs the students of the steps to take as they consider the possibilities of flooding.

Map of Tigalee Creek and the surrounding suburbs

SID Star and his 5 PointsQuestions to be considered.

BLM students were provided with an opportunity to devise engaging learning experiences. The relevance of this topic to the primary students meant that they were both interested and involved in the lesson.

Media Coverage Print Media - GRC – Council Connection – the Launch

Print Media – GRC – Council Connection – Introducing SID Star and the events

http://content.cqu.edu.au/UniNews/viewStory.do?story=8085

As part of the whole process, the media coverage we received through print, radio and electronic digital formats not only promoted the events and productivity of the project, but also encouraged the BLM students in their pursuits. The Media coverage provided opportunities for reflection and evaluation at each stage of the project.

Electronic Media Coverage

It was great to see the smiles on the faces of the children…and even better to hear the clapping from the crowd as our float journeyed up Goondoon St….We saw people in the crowd bopping to the catchy rap compilation …All in all a worthwhile part of the project, helping to get our message out into the wider community.

http://www.gladstone.qld.gov.au/web/guest/council-connection-newsletter

It is obvious that a lot of effort was put into this day and also the Ecofest stand and on behalf of Council, I thank the university students for their dedication to this project. Mayor: Gail Sellers

http://www.gladstone.qld.gov.au/web/guest/tigalee-creek-project;jsessionid=E76FD2E5486163C63006674671BACAFA

Positive representations of SID’s Disaster Awareness Day posted online by the Gladstone Regional Council. Images depict the meaningful and colourful interactions between the respective parties.

Gladstone Regional Council Website

Radio Media Coverage

http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2011/06/safety-in-disaster-day.html

Be Magazine – Issue 12, 2011, Be: Resilient – Resilience Rising

As interest in the project grew, the objectives and goals of the project were promoted in print articles. The attention that was given to the project highlighted the importance of the issues to the community at large. The issues of awareness, preparedness and resilience were illuminated.

Print Media Coverage – Be Magazine CQUniversity Australia

Positive Feedback

EngagedOrganisedInteresting

EncouragingInformative

Clear and easy to understand

Interactive

Gladstone Ecofest – Promotional Stall

The stall at the Ecofest was used as a means of reaching a wider section of the community. We prepared sample bags for the children that contained SID’s message on useable items like pencils, mini-torches, stickers, balloons and an activity booklet.

An activity station was set up for children to paint images of natural disasters using crayons and water colours. The children were also asked to show people of the community being rescued within their illustrations. The activity was extremely popular.

SID Star – our Mascot

Our mascot SID star distributed the message to the children at Ecofest by handing out the sample bags and helium balloons inscribed with the five points. SID was extremely popular and made many friends. Interestingly enough, a few students from Kin Kora primary school greeted SID and recalled the steps to take.

The Merchandise – getting the message out

The Activity Station •Imaginative, creative•Engaging activity

BLM students guided the children through the activity, drawing their attention to not only what the natural disasters looked like, but also getting them to think about who could help or rescue people caught in such situations.

Rainbow Valley Early Learning Centre - Visit

SID Star visited Rainbow Valley and presented a version of the rap from the Arts performance highlighting the key message.

Learning Experience – for early childhood

BLM students delivered learning experiences using recognisable visual images and worked in small groups to deliver the key information regarding natural disasters and in particular flooding.

Question time was used to engage the learners and to discover the learners’ prior knowledge of the topic. The small groups were then guided through a hands on activity where they were able to create a small town using toys and props. A simulation of a flood using watering cans allowed the children to understand what happens when there is a down pour of rain.

Town Planning! - Hands on Activity

The learners were able to see the devastating effects of flooding and were then asked to remodel their town thinking about what was happening to the water and how they could possibly re-direct the water or make changes to their town.

•Problem solving•teamwork

After the simulation, the children were given an opportunity to reflect on what had happened to their towns and how the flood waters had affected the people and animals.

“the birdie and the window and the hill sinking”

“All the rain is going down on the bus and the icecream truck. The bus is going to the airport.”

Benaraby State School – Promotional Visit

• The Benaraby State School 125 years celebration is scheduled for Saturday 15th October, 2011

• SID Star has been invited to attend by the parent’s association will be there and will hand out balloons, magnets and flyers.

SID Star’s Disaster Resilience Educational Resource Kit

This program has been developed to be delivered at any school and now I encourage principals and teachers to access the resources that the BLM students have developed to help our community be better prepared for natural disasters – Mayor Gail Sellers

Student Booklet

The Website

The Website was initially created to keep participants informed about how the project was travelling. As the project progressed it became a resource for learners, teachers and interested parties. The website has information about the project, weblinks, resources, a kid’s corner which has a series of interactive games and a gallery.

New Website address:www.sidstar.weebly.com

•Digital literacy•Information technology

The Documentary

The documentary produced by one of the final year BLM students was an excellent way of examining the concerns related to flooding, Tigalee Creek and surrounding areas. It was also used to capture the objectives of the GRC in the re-development of that area. The documentary has been embedded into the website but is also a useful resource to share with upper primary children to promote awareness of the issues and plans to address the flood hazards.

•Effective communication•Information Technology Competence

http://disastermanagementprojectcquglad.weebly.com/tigalee-creek-project.html