Corey Tutt is a proud Kamilaroi man and passionate scientist, who’s equally as passionate about getting kids in remote communities excited about science. It was this passion that lead Corey to develop Deadly Science – an initiative that provides science books and science resources to remote schools right across Australia. Corey yarns on Big Brekkie with Gman. For Corey, it is about empowering young Aboriginal kids, and Australia as a whole to be proud of its 65,000+ years of science.
As he notes, “Aboriginal people were the first scientists, with tens of thousands of years of trial and error. The gap is not in knowledge, it is in resources.”
The problems that Aboriginal kids face in isolated communities are multifaceted: intergenerational trauma, a lack of opportunity, resources, access to fresh food, and the health and developmental issues that come alongside it. “Kids go to school, and there are only 15 books there. It is horrible. People are unaware of the poverty that exists in Australia,” explains Corey. For Corey, the long-term goal is to see the kids being mentored end up in University, and eventually take over from him in leading Deadly Science.
Deadly Science also raises money for smart gardens through the selling of t-shirts, which allow Indigenous Australian communities to grow their own food cost-effectively.
“A cabbage costs $22 in a community. You cannot expect young people to learn and eat properly when sugar is cheaper than fresh food. We want to make food cheaper, and teach kids to grow it,” explains Tutt. “We want to help kids through school, and be a support network to get them in university. “I want to empower people to take control of their own destiny, we often get narratives placed on us that act as limitations, and we do not give ourselves credit at times with how bright we are.
National Science Week 2020 will be held from 15 – 23 August - visit the National Science Week website at ScienceWeek.net.au to find online events, virtual experiences and activities you can do in your own home – from art to astrophysics, chemistry to climate change, and forensics to future food
• Online, virtual and home-based activities and events are being held all around Australia, from exploring the wildlife in your own backyard to virtual reality tours of the universe.
• The importance of science is in the spotlight. 2020 has shown that science is saving lives, from the Western and Indigenous bushfire science understanding fire behaviour and fuel load management, to the urgent medical research targeting coronavirus, and the existing public health knowledge that is reducing the risk of catching it
• The pandemic has changed public events, but the science opportunities continue! Event organisers are innovating, working within local health requirements to provide activities online, in the home, or in settings that allow physical distancing. Including events like Virtual Tours of Great Southern Reef marine life, live workshops and experiments, expert panel discussions and more
• The 2020 school theme is ‘Deep Blue: Innovations for the future of our oceans’, exploring the economic and environmental value of Australia’s vast oceans
• Science Week is one of Australia’s largest festivals and was first held in 1997. In 2019, about 1.5 million people participated in more than 2000 events around the country