Future Perfect 2040

Last week, we packed our trusty time machine and headed off to Footscray North Primary School. We took Year 5 and 6 students twenty years into the future. Their mission: to spot some of the ‘too good to be true’ amenities they saw dotting their future neighbourhoods! Working in groups, the children built dioramas of their favorite future facilities for Maribyrnong City Council to start working on now. Here are just some of the fabulous facilities the children see in the future: robots to help old people, cafes in buses, laser tagged skating parks, pools in cinemas, public VR rooms and lots of science labs, no doubt to invent more time machines in!The project is a part of the council’s Maribyrnong 2040 community plan. The plan invites residents of Maribyrnong to share their needs, concerns and aspirations for their neighbourhood’s future. The council, in turn, will consider their contributions when planning for the next 20 years. 100 Story Building was assigned the very important task of finding out what Maribyrnong’s most important demographic - children - wanted for their future neighbourhoods. So we consulted P. Jons - 100 Story Building’s resident editor of Pigeon Post who is in regular correspondence with children - and developed this workshop.Building dioramas helped the students to think of the practical considerations that go into future planning by councils. The workshop also gave the students an opportunity to apply the learnings from their ‘Civics and Citizenship’ curriculum in real life. They had to consider the different levels of government and their functions. It also aimed to build their confidence, pride and sense of ownership as active citizens. Each student also wrote a postcard to the council with one wish for 2038. One enticing prospect: ‘In 2038, I would want a hoverboard and a hoverboard park with obstacles!’The llamas on Level 54 second that requestOur time machine is travel ready! Would you like us to conduct a similar workshop at your school or schools within your council? Contact our Program Manager Simon Conlon at simon@100storybuilding.or.au or on 9044 8215.