Metro Tunnel welcomes students to the virtual classroom

While it’s all quiet in Metro Tunnel HQ’s little corner of the city in Swanston St, there’s still plenty for students to learn about the project. 

Education Program Manager Cherida Longley said providing a Metro Tunnel experience to students wherever they may be during lockdown had been a focus.

“We delivered our first series of remote sessions to Year 9s from Mullauna College, Mitcham,” she said.

“Like many schools, their scheduled city experience week had to be cancelled, so we moved their bookings online” 

Cherida expects that with excursions on hold, the free remote learning sessions will continue to be popular.

“Schools just make a booking inquiry as normal and let us know what they’d like us to focus on,” she said. “Once the booking is confirmed, the school just sends us a link so we can join their class online.” 

“As part of our session we run a PowerPoint presentation. Students can ask questions via the chat function and ideally they will have the Kahoot app so they can participate in a quiz at the end.”

Metro Tunnel Education recently presented an overview of careers in rail infrastructure to 100 careers advisors at an online professional development session run by the Career Education Association of Victoria (CEAV), and hosted two student webinars through CEAV, which attracted more than 450 students. 

Metro Tunnel HQ’s in-house education programs are popular with students and Cherida said much of the same experience could be delivered remotely. 

“We find ways to demonstrate how simple scientific principles translate to the Metro Tunnel Project,” she said.  

“Every kid has dug a hole on the beach and noticed how the sides start to fall in. Hello! Opportunity to explain piling!”

You can make a booking enquiry for a school session via the Metro Tunnel Education website, which includes a host of further ideas, activities and opportunities for children to learn about Victoria’s biggest-ever public transport project •

metrotunnel.vic.gov.au/education