Rural Schools Invited to Apply for Fully Funded Sydney Royal Easter Show Excursion

By Robert Heyward

The Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS) Youth Group is excited to announce that applications are now open for the 2025 All Roads to the Royal program. This initiative offers one rural school a unique, all-expenses-paid, three-day excursion to the Sydney Royal Easter Show—a remarkable opportunity for students to gain hands-on agricultural experience and insight into one of Australia’s most iconic events.

Launched in 2019, the All Roads to the Royal program is designed to enrich syllabus-based agricultural education by providing students with experiences that are difficult to replicate in remote classroom settings. Participants will enjoy an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the Show, allowing them to engage directly with the agricultural industry and learn from experts in the field.

The program is open to students in years 7-12 and will run from Monday, 14th April to Thursday, 17th April 2025. The package includes return transport, accommodation, and meals for up to forty participants, including students, teachers, and guardians.

Sarah Stanbury, Chair of the RAS Youth Group, emphasised the educational and networking benefits that the program offers to rural and regional students.

“The All Roads to the Royal program is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for students to not only experience the Sydney Royal Easter Show but also to gain a deeper understanding of its significance to the agricultural industry and community,” Stanbury said.

“Students will have the chance to explore various career paths within the agricultural sector and connect with industry leaders who can provide valuable insights into the opportunities and challenges of working in this field. The RAS Youth Group is proud to offer such a special experience to schools that may not have the resources to attend otherwise, and we hope that students return with a renewed passion and appreciation for agriculture.”

Heather Earney, an Agriculture and Science teacher at Trundle Central School in Central West NSW, which was the recipient of the 2024 All Roads to the Royal program, reflected on the program’s impact.

“The All Roads to the Royal experience was a highlight of the year for both our students and teachers. It broadened the students’ horizons and provided them with lasting memories and valuable networks,” Earney said.

“The students were grateful for the opportunity, gaining practical knowledge about the Show that they could apply at our local event. They also developed a greater appreciation for the agricultural industry and the effort involved in organising such a large-scale event.”

The All Roads to the Royal program was created by the RAS Youth Group to address the financial and accessibility barriers that prevent many rural students from attending the Sydney Royal Easter Show. For the 2025 program, the RAS Foundation will contribute up to $25,000 towards bus travel, food, and other expenses.

Schools interested in applying can find more information about the program criteria and application process on the RAS website. Applications must be submitted by close of business on Saturday, 18th November 2024.

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RRISK Program Returns to Equip Teens with Life-Saving Skills

Robert Heyward

High school students in Northern NSW will soon have the chance to gain crucial knowledge about safe driving, drugs, alcohol, peer influence, and partying as the Reduce Risk and Improve Student Knowledge (RRISK) webinars return this November. Registrations are now open for Year 11 students to participate in the webinars, which will be held from 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM on November 13, 14, and 15, 2024.

Kathryn Watson, Acting Director of Integrated Care and Allied Health at Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD), emphasised the importance of the program. “The purpose of these webinars is to help young people stay safe on our roads and at parties. They learn how to support their friends and make safer decisions,” said Ms. Watson.

In NSW, young drivers under the age of 26 represent 14% of all licence holders but account for nearly 25% of accidental road fatalities. RRISK, a locally developed program, has been addressing these alarming statistics for over 20 years. Research shows that RRISK has a significant impact, with a 13-year study revealing that participants are 24% less likely to experience a crash and 42% less likely to crash at night compared to non-participants.

To enhance the program’s effectiveness, participating schools receive lesson plan ideas to supplement the webinars. These include life-saving skills like placing someone in the recovery position, responding to drug and alcohol-related emergencies, and understanding the risks of vaping.

In addition to safety advocate Paul Dillon from Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia, the webinars will feature contributions from NRMA and Southern Cross University, offering students a well-rounded educational experience.

Last year, over 2100 students from 28 schools took part in the program, with around 80% of participants reporting increased confidence in their ability to stay safe while celebrating or driving. Follow-up surveys conducted five months after the webinars showed students engaging in significantly more protective behaviours, such as looking out for intoxicated friends and calling for medical help when necessary.

Schools can now register for the RRISK program by visiting here.

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Second in the state for boccia

By Karina Smith

Woodburn Public School has come home triumphant from the 2024 Boccia Primary State Finals.

Boccia is a sport organised by the NSW Sports Unit for students with disabilities.

We entered a team from our support unit (Autism class) into the Ballina championships during term 2 this year.

We practiced with a team of six players but on the day our team only consisted of three players.

This meant we had no subs and our team of three would have to play all games.

All other teams had at least 2-3 subs.

Our little team, consisting of John (Kindergarten), Braxton (Year 3) and Hudson (Year 5) pushed through and after all the games stepped out as the winners of the Ballina division competition.

We were shocked, ecstatic and overwhelmed.

We were one of the 24 NSW schools that made it through to the state finals to be held in Sydney on the 13^th of August 2024 at Quay centre, Sydney Olympic Park.

At this stage we did not think we were going to make it to Sydney.

We have wonderful and determined parents and staff and after commitment from the parents, we started reaching out to our community organisations for support to help make our dream to go to state finals come true.

We received amazing support from the Old Boys raffles, Club Evans RSL, Rotary club, Woodburn Public P&C and the NSW sports unit, who also host the event.

Without these wonderful organisations we would not have been able to travel to Sydney.

We practiced daily at school and even pulled in some students from other classes to play against them to get more competitive practice in.

We flew out to Sydney on Monday 12^th of August and on Tuesday we finally competed in our very first Boccia state final games at Sydney Olympic Park Quay centre.

Our team of four students: Hudson, Arlia, Braxton and John, along with Mrs. Smith (coach) and Tania (team-assistant) and some great supportive parents, took on the day not knowing what was lying ahead of us.

We won our first five games and made it into the semi-finals, which we also won.

We finally played our final game of the day.

It was head-to head throughout the games and finally, in the last round, the opposition scored three points and we lost the game by two points.

We came second.

This meant that we are second in the state out of 517 schools and 30 Boccia rounds.

We couldn’t be prouder of our team and our school.

Our students showed perseverance, determination and great sportsmanship throughout the entire event. Well done!

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