Planning for the Future: Introducing plant biosecurity activities into schools to increase Australia’s plant health capacity

Abstract

Capturing the imagination o school children and developing their enthusiasm for protecting plants from pests is important to ensure Australia’s future capacity in science and plant biosecurity. Many national and international studies have demonstrated that unless children are introduced to science and related disciplines at an early age they are unlikely to pursue careers in these areas. It is also important that once they acquire an interest in science that this interest is nurtured, particularly through the teenage years. The Cooperative Research Centre for National Plant Biosecurity school education strategy aims to educate the next generation of scientists and science users. By portraying plant biosecurity and science in a positive and exciting manner to students from a young age, It is hoped that more students will be encouraged to pursue science as a career and, in the long‐term, fill some of the science, engineering and technology skills gaps. We have developed a variety of learning activities that are delivered through three key elements—’Plant Pest Investigation with Lily and Sam’, ‘Plant Pest Investigators’, and ‘Plant Pest Investigations’—that are aimed at pre‐primary, primary, and secondary school students respectively. This presentation will outline the various activities we offer, and the feedback from schools to date