Young Australians planning for the planet

STUDENTS at New Town High have joined forces with other young leaders in a nationwide plan to build a sustainable future for Australia.

The Young Australians’ Plan for the Planet Program (YAPP) was launched late last year, aiming to involve students in the solving of global problems.

Each of the 20 schools involved has been assigned an “Ecozone” or region of Australia. The aim is for each school to adapt the 17 sustainable development goals set by the United Nations to their individual Ecozone and create a tailor made plan.

Once each plan is complete, they will be merged to form a master plan for Australia which will be presented to the Prime Minister as a part of National Science Week next month.

New Town High science teacher and team facilitator Caroline Remenyi said the program was giving a voice today to the leaders of tomorrow.

“YAPP has shown me the extent of planet Earth’s problems, yet has also given me hope with the enthusiasm and dedication of the students in solving them,” Ms Remenyi said.

School prefect and YAPP team secretary Finlay Semmens said the participants had been able to meet key figures as part of their work.

“”We have had the opportunity to meet with Ian Chambers, one of the driving forces behind the program, as well as members of the United Nations Youth and specialists in academic fields that concern our research,” Finlay said.

Within the New Town High team, the Grade 9 and 10 students have been allocated a goal based on their passions and knowledge.

All in the team have a great aptitude for science and a want to make the world a better place. Meeting every week, they have worked to thoroughly research their area and the solutions that will make a better Australia.

Some of the topics being worked on include Equality, Water and Food Security and Climate Action.

After completing this research phase, the students created a list of the top 10 things that needed to happen in their area for their topic., and are now looking at strategies to fix them.

The local plan is nearing completion, and for the team members their hard work is soon to be combined with plans across the country and shown to Australia. www.planfortheplanet.org.au