THE Begonia Princess paddle steamer was transformed into a classroom for the day in a new educational focus for Ballarat.
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Trawalla Primary School pupils were the first to experience Ballarat’s new floating classroom on Lake Wendouree on Thursday.
A joint idea by Begonia Princess owner Anthony Kierce and the team at BotaniKIDS Friends of the Ballarat Botanical Gardens, the floating classroom gives school children the chance to learn about the lake.
“We work as a classroom but it’s not a classroom environment. We don’t want it to look like a school, we want them to experience what they’re learning,” BotaniKIDS Friends of the Ballarat Botanical Gardens convenor Julie Bradby said.
“It makes learning more real and hopefully the kids realise how important the lake is.”
Ms Bradby said as soon as teachers at Trawalla Primary School heard about the program they jumped at the offer, which she hopes will be the same case for other schools.
She said the educational program incorporated all levels of the curriculum, with pupils taught about the lake’s ecosystem, wildlife and history.
“The idea is to create a key environmental precinct, that includes not only the lake but the wetlands, the gardens and the trams,” she said.
“When we put that together as a package, it’s sure to turn teachers’ heads.”
It is hoped the floating classroom will become a regular activity for local and visiting schools, even in winter, as the ferry is fully enclosed.
Central Highlands Water has also jumped on the initiative, providing pupils with educational packs for the classroom.