Students' taste of STEM with Bike & Blend

TWEED Shire Council’s sustainability team visited Tweed River High School last week, treating students on a high school transition day to a real-world energy experience.

The Year 5 students from South Tweed and Banora Point public schools joined the Year 7 academic talent pathways students for a taste of STEM in a hands-on experiment to make a smoothie using pedal power.

The message of reducing food waste and transport emissions resonated with the students, according to the council.

Thirty students pledged to use up their leftovers or to use the ‘first in the fridge, first out’ method to reduce food waste; 11 pledged to make one less car trip per week; and two pledged to start an active travel group at their school.

Council’s sustainability education officer, Jane Moad, said Bike & Blend was a great illustration of two of the council’s key sustainability messages.

“They are to reduce food waste and swap a car ride for walking or riding to reduce emissions,” Moad said.

“The theme of the transition day was Net Zero Future, so it made sense to take this opportunity to provide fun and engaging education on how we can reduce our impact on climate change.”

Tweed Shire council sustainability team with students at Tweed River High School. Photo: SUPPLIED

Moad said she believed the Bike n Blend program to be effective in attracting students to STEM subjects.

“We’re happy to be involved with schools as we need bright young minds to be motivated and enthusiastic about solving challenges in our community, such as climate change,” she said.

“Understanding climate change and the effect of waste on our environment aligns strongly with the Australian Curriculum – biological, earth and physical sciences all engage with various aspects of care for our environment.

“Sometimes we get overwhelmed with complexity and doom and gloom, and we like to encourage people to get involved with one small action.

“More than 10 to 15 per cent of our emissions can be influenced by the actions of individuals, and small changes, done collectively, equal a big impact.”

For energy saving tips, visit brnw.ch/21wWz0w