'Taking the Great Barrier Reef live into your classroom'
Wherever you are in the world, experience the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef with a Reef Virtual Connection.
The Reef Education team are still able to deliver our many Reef Education Programs to schools and groups using videoconferencing. State-of-the-art technology unlocks unique teaching and learning experiences and is a tool that allows users to see and hear the person they are communicating with. It is exciting, stimulating, easy to use and a great way to involve students in learning about the Great Barrier Reef.
Videoconferencing is very different from other multimedia resources, such as video recordings or television presentations, because they are live and interactive. Reef Videoconferencing can be facilitated nationally and internationally.
The Reef Education team will be delivering a number of public and free lessons. To find out what we have coming up, click here.
We have a range of options for you to tailor a Virtual Connections session to your students or group delivered by our knowledgeable Reef Educators.
- We are still delivering our award-winning, in-water program where you can talk to a diver in our Coral Reef and Predator Tanks. Find out more about Reef HQ Aquarium's Reef Virtual Connections Program by clicking here.
- We are also able to deliver our other fantastic programs, similar to our School Programs lessons. To find out more, click here.
- You can also embark on a virtual excursion to the Reef HQ Aquarium Turtle Hospital, with our Turtle Connections Program.
- We can also develop a tailored curriculum linked program to meet your specific needs.
Virtual Connections is proudly brought to you by Polycom state of the art videoconferencing technology. Please contact the Reef Education team to discuss how we can deliver into your remote classrooms or to large groups - you do not need to be all together for us to connect to all of your students.
Reef Videoconferencing Testimonial: 'The Reef HQ hook-up was a huge success and the Year 10 students loved it. We also had several staff that popped in as a result of me mentioning it at staff briefing. The staff and students were very impressed with the quality of the presentation and the technology. Craig and Julie, you guys were great and I really appreciate how you included lots of commentary about Ningaloo. Already looking forward to the next time Hale School connects with Reef HQ Aquarium'. Rob Barugh, Head of Education Technology, Hale School, Western Australia.
Our renowned Virtual Connections Program has won multiple international awards:
- 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 Berrien RESA - Teachers' Favourite Award.
- 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 (Honourable mention), 2018, 2019, 2020 Pinnacle Award from the "Centre for Interactive Learning Collaborations" - Vote by teachers from across the USA.
- In 2020 the program was also recognised in the inaugural CILC (Centre for Interactive Learning and Collaboration USA) Hall of Fame for having received a Pinnacle Award or an Honorable Mention for at least 10 years. The Hall of Fame awards recognised fifteen organisations, and we were the only organisation from Australia.
In partnership with researchers from Deakin University, Reef HQ Education staff were co-authors on a paper published in the Journal of STEM Outreach. The paper explores over ten years of participant trends for the Reef Videoconferencing program to asses whether the program is a mechanism for increasing community education outreach. You can view the paper by clicking here.
Further information
To contact our Education Team use our contact form available here.