Bright Future Grants helping teachers and students in Melbourne's West

This year, Mobil Bright Future Grants helped local schools achieve online learning success.

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A significant focus of Altona refinery’s community contributions program is our Mobil Bright Future Grants initiative which supports maths and science education in local schools.

While schools normally appreciate the opportunity to enhance their STEM programs with resources and materials supported by our Bright Future Grants, the COVID19 pandemic and move to online learning for a lot of this year brought them new and more pressing challenges.

When the Victorian Government instructed schools to conduct remote learning for the majority of students from the start of the second school term, many local schools have had to quickly adjust to a new way of teaching and engaging students.

Over at Williamstown North Primary School, they found the Mobil Bright Future Grant invaluable in equipping teachers with some of the equipment needed to support online learning.

“This year’s Bright Future Grant was instrumental in helping us to establish our remote teaching platform earlier this year,” said Science and Sustainability Teacher Simon Radford.

“We used the grant to purchase 40 headsets, one for every member of the Williamstown North Primary School teaching staff, to support them to conduct online lessons. We were also able to acquire valuable online teaching resources such as Teacher Starter and Inquisitive.

“All of this was purchased towards the end of the first lockdown, and at the time we didn’t realise just how much we would need it all in Term Three,” said Simon.

“I still receive compliments from staff who are very grateful for the headsets funded by the Bright Future Grant, which enabled them to professionally and easily conduct lessons and staff meetings online,” he said.

Mobil has been supporting the education of local students through our Bright Future Grants since 2009. In total, 32 schools close to Altona Refinery, Birkenhead Terminal, Longford Gas Plants, Long Island Point, Offshore and Yarraville Terminal have received a share of $90,000 worth of Bright Future Grants this year.

Image Williamstown North Primary Schoolused their 2020 Mobil Bright Future Grant to purchase 40 headsets, one for every member of the Williamstown North Primary School teaching staff, to support them to conduct online lessons as pictured above. All of this was purchased towards the end of the first lockdown, and at the time we didnt realise just how much we would need it all in Term Three, said Science and Sustainability Teacher Simon Radford. — Williamstown North Primary School used their 2020 Mobil Bright Future Grant to purchase 40 headsets, one for every member of the Williamstown North Primary School teaching staff, to support them to conduct online lessons as pictured above. “All of this was purchased towards the end of the first lockdown, and at the time we didn’t realise just how much we would need it all in Term Three,” said Science and Sustainability Teacher Simon Radford.