By Olivia Condous
A local school is getting savvy with sustainability by participating in a national recycling challenge to help protect the environment.
Kororoit Creek Primary School is joining the Big Battery Rescue, designed to help schools learn how to recycle batteries with a free education program.
The challenge is run by The National Theatre for Children and Stockland property group and participating schools receive free recycling kits, an educational program which includes live-in-school and livestream educational theatre performances by professional actors and the chance to win cash prizes by recycling batteries.
Kororoit Creek Primary School learning specialist Hannah Simmons said the students had participated remotely during lockdown and recycled 50 kilograms in batteries last year, but were excited to be able to join in person.
“They just get a really big kick out of knowing that they’re making a difference and… bringing in batteries, counting them, talking to their friends about it, talking to their teacher about it,” Ms Simmons said.
The program has already recycled 2000 kilograms of batteries nationwide in the past two years, with 15,000 students participating this year.
Ms Simmons said the school chose the program as it tied into their focus of the students being “global minded citizens”.
“We’re wanting our kids to be globally minded, taking action outside of what connects directly to them and looking at the community impacts on others as well.”
She said the best part of the program was the students’ enjoyment of video content created for the school with fun characters called The Energized Guyz.
“They send videos and resources to engage the students and help them to understand what they might be doing and how they can contribute,” Ms Simmons said.
“The kids are really excited… those types of challenges really excite them.”
