Light-themed projects at Domremy College Five Dock have brightened the minds of gifted students in the Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS) network and provided help to families in Papua New Guinea (PNG) living in energy poverty.
Lights for learning
With only 20 per cent of PNG’s 10.5 million residents able to access electricity, school students must rely on dangerous and unsustainable sources of fuel – like kerosene, diesel, wood or candles – to study after dark.
To help improve the situation, Domremy student volunteers have built 50 solar-powered lights as part of the Origin Energy Foundation’s Solar Buddy light initiative.
“We are very proud of all students who gave their time to become more aware as global citizens and make a difference,” – Sarah Thompson
The Solar Buddy project marries STEM and social justice to improve the health and education outcomes of people living in energy poverty around the globe. The lights will be shipped to PNG.
Domremy’s Leader of Innovative and Global Connections, Sarah Thompson, praised the efforts of the students involved in an emotive letter to the Domremy community that acknowledged the severe impacts of energy poverty around the world.
The Solar Buddy initiative was led by the school’s Environment and Humanities captains, with students writing a heartfelt letter to accompany each light.
“We are very proud of all students who gave their time to become more aware as global citizens and make a difference,’” Ms Thompson said.
“We would like to thank the team of volunteers from Origin Energy Foundation for their financial and personal support throughout this project.
“We hope to maintain this relationship and continue to make a difference in the lives of those in need.”
Let there be light
Earlier in the term, Year 9 students at Domremy and Year 5 students from four nearby Catholic primary schools built model houses in a joint Science and numeracy program for students in SCS’ Newman Selective Gifted Education Program.
Over five sessions, the students also completed hands-on experiments to deepen their comprehension of electricity, light, optics principles and light management.
Lead architect of the college’s Nano Nagle Learning Centre, Janet Vogels, was a source of inspiration for the students as they built their model houses.
She spoke to students about how professionals in her field use the principles of light in their building designs.
Instructional Specialist at Domremy College, Lucy Silva, said students working collaboratively in a peer mentoring model made for engaging learning activities.
“Students build confidence in creative problem solving and the experience helps them build their social emotional skills, a very important aspect of working in any world they will encounter in their future careers,” Mrs Silva said.
Primary schools who took part in the ‘Let there be Light’ project include:
- St Mary’s Catholic Primary School Concord
- All Hallows Five Dock Catholic Primary School
- St Joan of Arc Catholic Primary School Haberfield,
- Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Primary School North Strathfield
