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Students from Dingo, Bluff and Duaringa are the beneficiaries of a partnership between the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) and Magnetic South, with Junior Geologists workshops being delivered in both schools this week under the sponsorship.

In total around 50 students from Years 3 – 6 attended the workshops held over two days at Dingo State School and Duaringa State School, giving the students from these small schools, and their teachers, a unique opportunity to discover more about the geology of their region.

Jen Hoyle, Acting Director – QMEA & DEI, said the workshop had been developed specifically for primary students and was complemented with a professional development session for the teachers.

“These schools are located in the resource-rich Bowen Basin which has unique geological features,” said Ms Hoyle.

“This workshop is designed to unlock the geological landscape for the students and give the teachers a strong local context for exploring earth sciences with their classes.”

Dingo State School principal, Kelly Low, said the students were excited to spend a day being geological explorers.

“They had a lot of fun and developed new skills through the workshop which included activities to build on the students mapping, observation and critical thinking skills,” said Mrs Low.

“They had lots of questions for Geoff, Sophie and Molly from Magnetic South about the exploration process, having them working with the students really helped to bring their classroom learning to life.”

The Junior Geologists workshops are the first activities in an enhanced partnership arrangement between Magnetic South and the QMEA, which will involve further workshops at local primary schools.

Daryl Kidcaff, Chief Operating Officer for Magnetic South said they wanted to give back to the smaller schools in the region where they operate.

“These schools might not have access to facilities in regional centres but they have the distinct advantage of being in the centre of a unique geological landscape,” said Daryl.

“We were keen to share our geological knowledge with them and show why the coal industry is such a big part of our community,” he said.

“The students and teachers have been fantastic; they are now geology superfans!”