3 March 2010

In an educational spin on speed dating, local teachers will be matched with 30 environmental managers today (Wednesday, 3 March) to discuss educational opportunities for their students.

The Teachers Speed Networking Meeting, presented by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's (GBRMPA) and NQ Dry Tropics Reef Guardian Schools program, allows teachers and environmental representatives to develop ideas about increasing the environmental knowledge and awareness of school children.

More than 40 schools are participating, including both primary and secondary schools, each meeting individually with the environmental organisations, industry groups and local and state government representatives.

Carolyn Luder, Education Officer at GBRMPA, said the response from teachers and the organisations involved had been overwhelming.

"This is an excellent opportunity for teachers and environmental managers and industry representatives to team up," she said.

"It allows for the teachers to get information to develop curriculum units, to nut out some problems with current school-based projects and to plan for future projects."

This is the third Teachers Speed Networking Meeting that has been held in the north, with Ayr and Bowen teachers already benefiting from the initiative.

"There will be representatives from natural resource management agencies, local and state government and industry groups from the region available for discussions, and teachers can also meet with each other to talk about their own ideas," she said.

The meeting will take place at 4pm today (Wednesday, 3 March) at Cathedral School on Ross River Road in Townsville.

The Reef Guardian Schools program is an initiative of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and, in the Townsville region, it is run in partnership with the natural resource management group NQ Dry Tropics.

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