Innovative Ideas Impress

Plans to remodel a coastal walking trail between Port Kennedy and Safety Bay has won three Year 9 students $300 in the recent Bendigo Community Bank Len Sheedy How Would You Improve Your Community Competition.
Lauren Roberts, Iris Sin and Ebony Jetten proposed track upgrades, new signage and fencing, and the addition of interactive games and activities would attract more residents and tourists to the trail.
Year 9s entered the competition, which encourages students to come up with practical ideas to help improve their community.
Six finalists presented their ideas to a panel of judges today, which included Associate Principal Phil Casas, Academic Excellence Dean Jenny Burton, HASS Dean Kerry Cross and Bendigo Community Bank representative Nino Sekyere-Boakye.
Mrs Burton said the calibre of presentations was extremely high and the students should be commended for their ideas, creativity and research.
“Each year I am amazed by the originality of our students, and the great lengths they go to in developing their concepts,” she said.
Other ideas included hosting a COVID-19 concert fundraiser, using drones to help reduce crime, establishing a public recycling centre, an innovative domestic violence refuge which offers childcare and a program encouraging volunteers to sit with cancer patients during chemotherapy treatments.
“The diversity on offer was impressive and the competition was close,” Mrs Burton said.
“When we finalised the scores and realised our runners up, Denzel Edwards and Chloe Stephen, were just one point behind the winners, Nino kindly offered a second prize and awarded the pair $100 for their innovative plastic recycling pitch.”
Due to COVID-19, the competition is unable to host regional finals this year.