‘Ekka Courier’: Year 6 students take over media coverage at Brisbane Showgrounds

Year 6 students from Queensland state schools took over the Brisbane Showgrounds this week at Ekka as ‘live-in’ journalists.

Year 6 students from Queensland State Schools took over the Brisbane Showgrounds this week as “live-in” journalists at the Ekka.

The Brisbane Show Camp is a residential program run in partnership with Education Queensland and the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland.

Manager Keith Enchelmaier said the program has been around since 1928 but for the past 30 years the focus had shifted to the “priority area” of literacy.

“In 1992 the focus shifted from agriculture to literacy - that’s when we started with the Ekka Courier, a newspaper concept,” he said.

Mr Enchelmaier said show camp gave children from both rural and urban backgrounds the opportunity to “immerse” themselves in media activities at the Ekka.

“This year we have more local kids because of Queensland Health’s regulations but the dormitory still allows children to immerse themselves in the experience and meet new friends,” he said.

Taneesh Prabhakar, 11, from Morningside State School, with Wujin Lee, 11, from Brookfield State School.

Morningside State School’s Taneesh Prabhakar said he enjoyed being able to live at the Ekka but also develop his writing skills.

“I want to be a media producer or journalist when I grow up so it was fun to be able to write about biosecurity in the animal nursery,” he said.

Taneesh, 11, said he was able to explore the topical issue of Foot and Mouth Disease.

Meanwhile, Wujin Lee from Brookfield State School said the 2022 cohort were able to make friends with students from different state schools.

Brisbane Show Camp provides an opportunity for students to develop skills in the areas of digital media and news writing through group and individual projects.

Students from Year 6 Queensland State Schools can be nominated by their school with a maximum of 20 students selected each year to live-in at the Ekka and become involved in media activities.

Brisbane Show Camp’s 2022 stories will be published on Brisbane Urban Environmental Education Centre’s Facebook page and online at: brisbaneurbaneec.eq.edu.au