The Flinders Ranges Ediacara Foundation in conjunction with SASTA, will be offering 9 teacher scholarships to the Flinders Ranges to explore the Nilpena Ediacara National Park and surrounding areas with experts in the field to increase student engagement and learning about Ediacara in the classroom.
This unique professional development experience will take place in the July school holidays, from 7-10 July 2025.
Objectives
- Educate teachers about South Australia's geological heritage
- Promote understanding of geological time scales
- Inspire the incorporation of Ediacara into teaching and learning programs
- Inspire and build confidence in teachers to be scientific role models for their students
Itinerary and inclusions
The itinerary includes a travel day on Monday 7 July and a return trip on Thursday 10 July.
Onsite professional learning will include:
- Welcome to Country at Wilpena Pound Resort
- Extended Nilpena Ediacara National Park fossil tour including
- The Blacksmith's Shop interactive experience
- A visit to the active fossil research site
- Spend the afternoon with Dr. Mary Droser and two Ph.D. researchers learning about research happening at NENP, making moulds of fossils for you to bring to the classroom and maybe even helping with the research!
- Tour through Brachina Gorge - the Corridors Through Time Geological Trail
- Lunch at the Prairie Hotel
- Group planning session with ideas / units to take back to your classroom
- The trip will be supported by a lead teacher who is knowledgeable about Ediacara to support the group and facilitate PD sessions.
- Stargazing Tour at SkyTrek Willow Springs
The chance to learn from someone like Dr Mary Droser, who is literally pushing the boundaries of our understanding of life on Earth, was something I’ll never forget. It made me excited not just for what I learned, but for what I’ll be able to share with my students - 2024 participant
The Stargazing Tour will start with a welcome and a brief information session on the telescopes, how to aim them and change the magnification, as well as how they work!
You will then take control of a telescope and begin by aiming at some easy to find and identify targets, moving to fainter, but more amazing objects as your eyes adjust to the darkness, and your skill level in operating the telescopes increases. We will look at objects like globular clusters, some nebulae (the birthplace of stars) and other galaxies. Whilst you are viewing, I will explain the stories of the constellations and the relevant science of the object we are looking at.
At the end of the evening, I will take a picture or two of you with the Milky Way as a backdrop. As well as the photo of you with the Milky Way, you will also receive access to digital images of every object you observe in the evening.
This opportunity is being sponsored by Karl Grice at Stellar Science.
Accommodation, travel* and tour fees will be covered by the scholarship.
Participants will be responsible for covering their own food costs.
*leaving from Adelaide
Eligibility
- You must be a South Australian teacher currently teaching Reception - Year 10.
- Participants will be expected to contribute their knowledge and resources gained from this experience to the broader science community through SASTA publications, events or other opportunities.
- Some sites will contain limited facilities so it is important that you are comfortable with:
- Travelling as a passenger for long distances including in a 4WD over bumpy terrain
- Physically fit to be out in the fossil fields
Application & Selection
- Applications open on Tuesday 25 March
- Applications close on Friday 2 May
- Applicants will be notified by Friday 16 May
Selection will be based on your responses to the three main questions at the end of the application form. The final selection of teacher participants will be at the discretion of the selection panel.
This trip has completely transformed how I think about teaching geology and palaeontology. I want my students to feel the same sense of excitement that I felt holding those fossils and walking through Brachina Gorge - 2024 participant
We are looking for a group of enthusiastic teachers who will take the knowledge from this tour back to the classroom to support their students as well as the wider science community. If you think this is something you would like to participate in, please complete the application form below!