A school bushfire safety initiative by has taken out an award at the 2023 Victorian Resilient Australia Awards.
Harkaway Primary School has won the school category at the awards and is recognised for a range of activities, including the establishment of a student-led bushfire safety committee and the development of a ‘Bushfire Safety Manifesto’ – both outcomes of a Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC research project led by Dr Briony Towers (Leadrrr) and the late Prof Kevin Ronan (CQUniversity).
Hosted by Emergency Management Victoria on 18 October, the Awards celebrate programs and initiatives that strengthen community resilience toward disasters and emergencies.
The Award also recognises Harkaway Primary School’s contribution to Schools in Fire Country, a project funded by Natural Hazards Research Australia and Safer Together. Led by Neil Munro (CFA) and Dr Towers, this project has enabled agencies, experts and educators to collaborate on the development and implementation of a new research-informed bushfire education program.
Harkaway Primary School students and teachers were involved in the development and testing of the new program that aims to support the delivery of placed-based, participatory bushfire education in Victorian primary schools.
View the ‘The Harkaway Primary School Manifesto and Bushfire Safety Committee’ below.