Schools programme
14 schools, 246 classes and over 4,600 students across Taranaki have been involved in the 60 Springs schools programme from 2008 through to November 2011. With the support of the 60 Springs team and a wide range of expert mentors, students have been able to get out and about and do some scientific investigation of their local environment, develop creative thinking skills and explore potential solutions to the problems they encountered. They’ve built penguin boxes, learnt about different ways to test water quality, made videos about freshwater crayfish, blogged about everything from wetlands to dogs on our beaches and much more.
Each project was developed in collaboration between the 60 Springs team and the teachers and students based on an element of sustainability that really mattered to them. The projects were based either onsite at school or out in the field in their local environment. In some instances 60 Springs has been just one of many contributors to success ongoing projects with a sustainability focus. St. Joseph’s School Waitara is an example of this with their wetland project. They won funding through Project Crimson to develop an area of their grounds into a wetland, and then 60 Springs helped the kids with ideas for its ongoing development and around how to engage the rest of the school and the wider community in the project.
60 Springs has raised awareness about sustainability issues in schools and local communities, made experiencing the natural environment accessible, provided opportunities for young people to be mentored by skilled professionals, opened eyes to different careers, and true to its name, acted as a springboard, allowing young people to take a creative concept from a seed of an idea to reality.
Schools involved in 60 Springs
2011
2010
- Devon Intermediate School: Eight students involved in a project to enhance the Mangaotuku steam/wetland area bordering the school.
- Highlands Intermediate School: Year 7/8 students investigating the environmental and cultural sustainability of Pukekura Park. Projects were entered into the 2010 Fonterra Science and Technology Fair and TSB Bank Festival of Lights.
- Hillary Challenge team (NPGHS and NPBHS) problem solving and creative thinking.
- Manaia Primary School: Year 7/8 students studying Manaia township.
- New Plymouth Boys High School: Year 10 students - fish studies in Pukekura Park and Te Henui Stream.
- New Plymouth Boys High School: Science fair projects – mentoring.
- Norfolk Primary School: Year 7/8 students looked at issues around water sustainability at their school and local river.
- Opunake High School: Sustainability class (Years 7-13). St Joseph’s Opunake School: Year 7/8 students performed a waste audit of their school and investigated rules and regulations for fishing and shell fishing in Taranaki.
- Coastal Taranaki School: Year 7/8 students studying plants, people and penguins.
2009
- Devon Intermediate School: Pukekura Park continuation of animal studies.
- Hawera High School: Year 12 students studying Nowells Lakes.
- Hawera High School: Year 12 students investigating examples of sustainability in Taranaki.
- Manaia Primary School: Year 7/8 students studying Manaia township.
- New Plymouth Boys High School: Eight Year 10 students – Pukekura Park 2040.
- Opunake High School: Sustainability class (Years 7-13).
- Coastal Taranaki School: Year 7/8 students studying Waikirkiri Lagoon, Okato
- Waitara High School: Year 10 students investigated the Waitara River mouth.
- 2008
- Devon Intermediate School: Pukekura Park fish, frogs, glow worms and insect studies.