28 October 2008
STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT NATURAL DISASTERS ONLINE
Attorney-General Robert McClelland today visited Macedon Primary School in Victoria to launch a new web-based educational game aimed at teaching young Australians how to prepare and respond to emergencies and disasters.
Centred on the fictitious town of ‘Dingo Creek’, the online game allows students to identify risks from natural disasters, face the effect of severe weather emergencies, reduce the risk to their communities and stay safe with their families.
“Using the latest technology to encourage school students to understand the effects of bushfires, hailstorms, cyclones, floods or even tsunami is a great way to ensure young people are aware of what to do if a natural disaster occurs,” Mr McClelland said.
“This initiative is not only aimed at educating school children, but we hope it will also help kids discuss with their parents what steps to take in an emergency. The Rudd Government believes that everyone in the community should be able to play their part if a disaster strikes.”
The resource, developed by Emergency Management Australia (EMA), is aimed at students in years 5 to 9, and adds to the range of natural disaster learning tools already available to schools through the EMA website - www.ema.gov.au/schools.
“Natural disasters occur in Australia on an annual basis, and the Dingo Creek online game will be an invaluable addition to the work undertaken by emergency service agencies, volunteer groups and non-government organisations to help Australians cope with future disasters.”
The game has been designed to be used flexibly so that key messages of responsible decision-making and taking positive actions in their community, can be applied in any area of a school’s curriculum across their nominated year levels.
Macedon Primary School, northwest of Melbourne, is located within a region that was heavily affected by the Ash Wednesday bushfires of 1983.
Media contacts:
Adam Sims, Mr McClelland’s office, 0419 480 224
Alastair Wilson, EMA Media Liaison, 0408 606 462