Born to run: Stanwell State School’s Colour Run paints a bright future for the community

17 November 2020

Stanwell State School’s Digi Tech camp and Colour Run connected five regional schools for two fun-filled days of projects and activities. 

Fostering social connectedness, the event brought together students and families from throughout the community, including families with prior-to-school-age children. Participants took part in a range of activities to promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) learning.  

As technology evolves and the working world changes, it’s important that education keeps pace. Future careers are expected to rely heavily on the 21st century skills covered by STEM education – including critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and problem-solving – and events like the Digi Tech Camp are essential to ensuring that kids in rural and remote areas don’t get left behind. 

STEM wasn’t the only thing on the agenda, either. The children also learned about the value of physical health and wellbeing, and snacked on fruit sourced from local suppliers while teachers spoke about the importance of healthy eating. 

The camp culminated in a colourful cross country running race, giving students from schools throughout the region a chance to compete and get excited about exercise.   

With small student numbers, it can be a challenge for rural schools to raise the money required to host events like the Digi Tech camp and Colour Run, despite their obvious benefit to the community. Any money the schools do raise is typically driven back into learning resources, such as musical equipment and iPads. 

That’s where Stanwell’s Corporate Sponsorship Program comes in. The program provides support for events, activities and programs that improve the quality of life in the communities closest to the Stanwell Power Station, Tarong power stations, Meandu Mine and Mica Creek Power Station. 

With the Stanwell Power Station visible from the school, the Digi Tech camp and Colour Run certainly fit the bill. Stanwell was proud to invest $1,500 into the event, which helped to ensure that kids in regional areas receive the same opportunities as children in the city. 

Better yet, Stanwell State School’s Parents and Citizens committee was able to use the event to raise further funds, ensuring it will continue to benefit the community for some time to come.

Applications for Stanwell’s Corporate Sponsorship Program should be submitted at least four weeks before the date of your event, and must demonstrate your activity meets a set of minimum criteria, including: 

  • Being relevant to a specific region in which Stanwell operates;
  • Having broad appeal to people within that region; 
  • Not endorsing a private sector or political organisation, or a particular brand or product; 
  • Not requiring a commitment beyond three years at the time of application; 
  • Not solely benefitting an individual; and  
  • Being delivered by a capable organisation. 

Learn more about how Stanwell can help your community here