School students from Camborne addressed a global issue in Canada recently at the Bio-Innovation and Sustainability Conference.

The ten day event saw young people from Canada, Australia and Camborne Science and International Academy investigate complex issues surrounding securing long term food production and access to clean water.

“Five of our students and two members of staff travelled to Winnipeg for the conference which addressed sustainability, security and stability in terms of the food we eat and the water we drink,” said Jo Greet, coordinator of KS3 English. “A matter which affects us all, we’re so proud to have been a part of the event and our students made such a valuable and positive contribution.”

Hosted by Fort Richmond Collegiate, students were immersed in Canadian life, staying with host families for ten days, attending school lessons with their home-stay buddies and visiting various local attractions.

“The home stay was a brilliant experience because we each got to experience Canada from the perspective of a local rather than just a tourist,” said Megan Burridge of year 11. “It was really fun to see their different cultures and try amazing foods.”

As part of the conference, students were given a "case farm" to study and were asked to produce a plan to ensure food security and production at that farm, making recommendations based on their findings from soil sampling.

“The conference began with trips across Winnipeg to give students the opportunity to understand the ‘field to fork’ process,” said Jo. “They then had to create a project based on the various visits, using their scientific findings to produce a presentation which was delivered at the end of the week. This was a real challenge but our students were fantastic, presenting confidently and showing how much they had learnt throughout.”

All five CSIA students and their teams delivered presentations which were “well received, raising tricky questions that were answered informatively” as students confidently explained to the audience the problems surrounding food security and possible solutions.

A number of cultural visits were also made throughout CSIA’s time in Canada including a visit to the Manitoba Human Rights Museum and Forks Market.

“It was great to meet new people from different cultures who live in different parts of the world,” said year ten student Molly Collins. “I especially enjoyed trying new foods such as poutine, bison and other Canadian dishes.”

Abbie Arnold, also in year ten added: "I would recommend the Canada trip to anyone. The school took us on lots of visits, the people were so kind and I wish to stay in contact with all my new friends in the future and extend international links.”

Ian Kenworthy, principal at CSIA, said: “We commend all five students who were a real credit to our academy during their time in Canada. Not only did they have an incredibly enjoyable visit, the trip was extremely enriching and fulfilling in terms of personal development and educational attainment, while representing our school as a community of global citizens.”