Schools awarded for Reef work

FEBRUARY 26, 2016: CONGRATULATIONS go to Proserpine State School students as well as St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School students, who have both been awarded a $500 Ripples of Change grant for protecting their local environment and the health of the Great Barrier Reef.The awards encourage students to learn about and care for their local environments and promote real change in their communities.Proserpine and Mackay have a strong connection to the neighbouring Great Barrier Reef and the local students have an important role to play in its care for future generations.I’m proud to support the work of our Reef Guardian schools as it empowers our students to make a positive difference and gives them an opportunity to be involved in the local community.Proserpine State School Deputy Principal Alison Bradford said they were excited to receive the Ripples of Change grant.“We will use our Ripples of Change grant to implement to adopt our local Conway Beach where we will collect and monitor marine debris,” said Ms Bradford.“We hope to raise students’ awareness about their local beach and how they can be an integral part of conservation of this area.”St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School teacher Jodie Benfer (pictured left, with students Kaleb Chick and Demi Walker, as well as Janine Mullenbach) said they were using their Ripples of Change grant to implement their Plant More Trees project.Grant winners include Emerald State High School, Rosedale State School, Glenmore State High School, Farnborough State School, Proserpine State School, Townsville State High School, St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School, Sunshine Beach State High School, Woree State School and East Ayr State School.More than 310 schools and over 127,000 students take part in Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s Reef Guardian Schools program across Queensland. Each school undertakes a variety of activities aimed at improving the Reef’s health and resilience.