Flinders scholarships are now open for applications on our College website (www.mfac.edu.au), and close on Friday, 15 March. We are proud to feature Principal's Scholar Maia Raymond in this story to inspire our current and future students to embrace new opportunities to learn and lead.
Matthew Flinders Anglican College Year 9 student and Principal’s Scholar Maia Raymond will next month travel to Scotland to attend the international Climate Change Conference and participate in a special youth forum as its youngest participant.
Held in April in the Scottish town of Findhorn, the conference brings together leading ecological thinkers, lawyers, philosophers, scientists, writers, educators, artists and leaders of major climate change organisations to raise awareness about climate change and to discuss solutions for a more sustainable future.
Maia has been accepted because of her maturity and understanding of the topic of climate change and sustainability, having grown up in an ecovillage on the Sunshine Coast and having completed a permaculture design certificate, which she recently gained in Uganda.
Flinders Principal Stuart Meade noted Maia was selected as the 2019 Principal’s Scholar for her accomplished efforts towards her studies and as a proactive and engaged young person with a passion for the environment.
“We are confident Maia will be inspired and challenged by her experience at the upcoming Climate Change Conference in Scotland,” Mr Meade said.
“We are excited to hear she is collaborating with other young people participating from many countries around the world in a special youth forum,” he said.
“As a Flinders Principal’s Scholar, Maia is a wonderful role model for her peers as she demonstrates how to engage with a passion and make a positive difference to our world.
“We encourage Maia and all our students to embrace every opportunity during their schooling years to explore their potential with confidence, persistence and resilience.”
Maia is engaged in many different environmental groups and activities, such as her presentation last year at the Melbourne Urban Agriculture Forum where she shared her views and experience with native plants, local food and edible landscaping.
Furthermore, this year, Maia and more than 20 students in the Flinders Environment and Science Club will help to design and build a flora and fauna walk on campus with QR codes to share information about chosen plants and their use, such as for food or natural medicine.
The goal is to encourage the Flinders community to further connect, learn from and engage with the beautiful rainforest and wetlands that fringe its 22-hectare campus.
Maia, who also plays in the Flinders College Band and as part of the College Saxophone Ensemble, says there are many things young people can do to make a positive difference to the planet.
“Students can start with simple daily choices, like to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by walking and bike riding to school instead of travelling by car or bus,” Maia says.
“It’s also possible to shop less and to avoid buying things new if you don’t need them. For example, shopping at op shops is a great alternative to fast fashion.”
Maia will travel with her family to the conference and then visit many key ecological projects in the UK, including the Eden Project, Schumacher College, the Centre for Alternative Technology and The Sustainability Centre.
For more information about applying for a Flinders scholarship, open now, please visit our College website at https://www.mfac.edu.au
or
https://www.mfac.edu.au/enrolments/scholarships-applynow/
Applications for Flinders scholarships close on Friday, 15 March 2019.
