 |
 Photos: ReefHQ |
In a world first, children of the Arctic have dipped their frost bitten faces into the temperate waters of the Great Barrier Reef without even leaving their classroom.
Students from the remote Athabaskan Indian village of Venetie in Alaska (pictured) received a coral trout’s eye view of Queensland’s aquatic wonders when they participated in a videoconferencing program run by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
Divers at the Reef HQ Aquarium in Townsville use underwater cameras to broadcast footage of reef life to students throughout the world including those at the very ends of it.
Around 20,000 students in 28 countries have participated in the videoconferences. Reef HQ Education Manager Fred Nucifora said the program enabled students to interact live with a scuba diver and observe spectacular marine creatures at arm’s length.
"Children like those at John Fredson School in Venetie may never get the opportunity to visit the Great Barrier Reef, however they now have every opportunity to appreciate it and discover what makes it so unique," Fred said.
Ms Gretchen Frank, a teacher at the John Fredson School, said she was thrilled at the possibility of opening up the world to her students. "With a total population of 200, our village culture is focused on subsistence – hunting, trapping and fishing. However, technology is a key educational tool for the school," she said.
Contact: education@reefHQ.com.au
Last reviewed 3 April 2007