Mobil supports school's short documentary film about the Westgate bridge

Students and staff at St. Augustine’s Primary School in Yarraville produced a short film/documentary which premiered at The Sun Theatre recently. The film was centered around the history of the Westgate bridge and was made possible by a Bright Future Grant from Mobil.

The Bright Future Grants program commenced in 2009 and since then over $1 million has been distributed to local schools and kindergartens to support schools in the subject areas of science, maths, engineering and technology (STEM).

Mobil’s South Asia Pacific Fuels Operations Manager John Bourke and Yarraville Terminal Manager Steven Flynn attended the event, and John addressed the audience before the film began.

John said, “This particular project was quite unique. It was selected for funding because it not only enabled students to learn a broad range of skills including researching, collaboration, writing, editing and filming, but it also provided an opportunity to preserve an important part of the area’s history for future generations to learn about.

“Mobil is a highly technical company that relies on the know-how of scientists and engineers to run our business. So a key focus of our contributions program is to support maths and science education in our local communities.”

St. Augustine’s teacher Loretta Le Boeuf applied for the grant to assist with a bridge construction project for students with a particular focus on the Westgate bridge, which aligned with the short film project. This proved to be a fun, dynamic and engaging way to educate students on STEM and the history of the Westgate bridge, which is visible from the school.

In his speech, John thanked staff and students for their hard work over the year that it took to create the short film.

“We’re extremely proud to have been a part of this project and I’m sure we’ll all leave this theatre tonight enriched by the special story you’re presenting to the community, which is the culmination of careful research, teamwork and dedication.”

In 2020, St. Augustine’s Primary School received a Bright Future Grant to purchase Spero Bolt robots, iPads to code them with and Bee Bot robots for younger students, enabling students to effectively develop their coding skills.