Magical creatures boost school learning

WHITTINGTON and St Leonards primary school students are getting to know magical, underground creatures living at their schools through a Geelong-first project.

Students, teachers, artists and creative education non-profit 100 Story Building co-designed the Geelong Story Hub, where classes can use storytelling and creativity as part of their everyday learning.

The story hub aims to inspire confidence in both educators and children to produce a collaborative environment and improve learning outcomes.

It involves installation of pipe portals around the school and in classrooms and is based on the creative thinking of students from the past year.

Whittington Primary School had its project installed on Monday, and St Leonard’s Primary School on Wednesday.

During design workshops, schoolkids explored mysterious events at their schools with the help of local artists, and students can interact with the beings dwelling below through the pipes with sounds, stories and wishes.

Artists Gretel Sharp and Lucy Allinson helped schools design their pipe portals, and said they were ready to finally see the project come to life with students back in the classroom following lockdowns.

“Engaging with the two primary schools has been a really fun process,” the artists said.

“The kids really brought out new levels of imaginative ideas for us and we’ve had a great time creatively pinning them together, it definitely made lockdown more colourful.”