On Thursday 13 and Friday 14 June, we had the amazing opportunity to host 'Galka', a two-day STEAM camp for local First Nations youth, in partnership with Djaara and Djandak.

Galka (which means to create and build) allowed students to work on collaborative projects with experts from Djaara and learn from our traditional environmental and cultural specialists. This hands-on experience gave the students valuable insights into STEAM and how it can be applied in community development and possibly shaping their future paths.

Students from Bendigo Senior Secondary College, Catherine McAuley College, Marist College Bendigo, and Weeroona College Bendigo participated in Galka. They engaged in activities such as measuring the health of the land, connecting with country, learning about cultural heritage, and honing their video creation skills using Insta360 cameras.

Thank you to all who made this camp possible, including Lewis Brown, Troy Firebrace, Jason Kerr, Oli Moraes, and the team from Djaara and the EPA. An extra big thank you to the working group from the Bendigo Local Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (LAECG) who helped develop the program and provided guidance throughout.