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Bushfire preparedness through education
21 July 2025
St Ambrose’s School, Woodend, took part in the CFA Schools in Fire Country program, which equips students with life-saving knowledge while enhancing teamwork, problem-solving and communication skills.
The program is a ‘research-informed, participatory bushfire education program enabling place-based teaching and learning in upper primary school classrooms’. The Year 5/6 students participated as part of their Bushfire Preparedness through Education inquiry unit – a comprehensive introduction to bushfire, encompassing fire ecology, Aboriginal cultural burning, bushfire in the landscape and bushfire risk.
Photo credit: Tom Lowe
Students identified locally relevant problems, forming teams, and developing solutions for projects that focus on pet safety, property preparation, emergency management planning, risk communication and evacuation planning.
Students presented their plans at CFA open day and at the school, inviting experts and special guests including CFA lieutenants and Cr Dominic Bonanno, Mayor of Macedon Ranges Shire.
Photo credit: Tom Lowe
Principal Bronwyn Phillips praised the program and the students’ success, explaining that ‘because it had purpose and the children were feeling empowered … they had that motivation and the buy-in’.
We’re so pleased to see schools taking initiative on fire safety with the experts at CFA, complementing the emergency management procedures created by MACS to support our 291 schools. Through education and community, MACS schools are enabling children to grow and thrive above and beyond curriculum, lighting the path to safer, more capable futures.
CFA volunteer and documentary filmmaker, Tom Lowe, captured the students’ progress in a fantastic video you can view on the CFA YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bEXp_3GtIg.