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Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie) students learned that there’s treasure everywhere when they were sent on a hunt for the minerals that make up the things we all use every day.

About 200 students took part in the Mining Matters event run by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) – the education arm of the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) – and supported by South32.

The students went on a QMEA Hunting Minerals, Metals & More Scavenger Hunt where they found and identified natural resources in every-day things, followed by online presentations from South32 mentors about how minerals and metals are mined and processed.

“The program helps the Year 8 boys understand more about minerals, how they are found, mined, processed and used,” said Katrina-Lee Jones, Director of Skills and Education with the QRC.

“I’m sure it was an eye-opener for the students who would have been surprised to learn of the huge range of minerals in everyday things from mobile phones to toothpaste,” she said.

“We’re using a great resource developed by the Minerals Council of Australia called ‘30 Things’, which shows how aspects of everyday life are made possible by mining.”

“It’s great that students were given an opportunity to understand how minerals and metals are used in our everyday lives,” said South32 Cannington Vice President Operations Joe Russell.

“By talking with South32 mentors, even though we had to do this online,  they were able to hear about career opportunities in the mining and resources industry and the many roles involved in producing these minerals,” he said.

“We hope the students found the day very rewarding and that they may be inspired to one day consider a career in the resources sector.”

“This workshop is also a neat way for the students to boost their knowledge of the periodic table by identifying the natural resources,” said Anglican Church Grammar School Deputy Head-Academic Richard Wheeldon.

“There’s nothing like a hands-on activity to bring a subject to life,” he said.

As Australia’s largest and most successful industry-led education and skills training initiative, the QMEA seeks to broaden student and teacher knowledge of career opportunities in resources.

The academy encourages a talent pipeline of employees into VET and STEM-related careers, with a focus on female and Indigenous participation. The QMEA currently engages with 80 schools and is a partnership between the QRC and the Queensland Government under its Gateway to Industry Schools program.