This morning, students from Bell Park North Primary School were welcomed into the club’s inner sanctum for a day of learning about cutting edge science, mathematics and health of footy.

BioCATS, run from the club’s Deakin Cats Community Centre, is an experiential learning program delivered to grade 5 and 6 school students from across Victoria, from Geelong to Warrnambool to Bendigo and the Grampians.

The maths, science technology and health-based program was established in 2013 and is run in partnership with BioLAB: Victorian Bioscience Education Centre, Bisinella Developments and SEDA College.

“This is such an exciting milestone for this fantastic partnership program. Since 2013 we have had such wonderful feedback from students and teachers who have participated in the program,” BioLAB Director Yvonne Van Der Ploeg said.

“It’s not unusual for BioCATS staff to be stopped in the streets by parents of students who have come home full of excitement about their day! It’s like learning by stealth, students don’t realise how much science, mathematics and health they have covered by having fun during a day at BioCATS.

“The program aims to capture the imagination of students and draw a clear link between work done in the classroom and the real world. The partnership with the Geelong Cats and link with the Deakin Cats Community Centre helps us to achieve that.”

Bisinella Developments’ Managing Director Richard Bisinella said the BioCATS milestone was a fantastic achievement.

“BioCATS provides the unique opportunity of engaging students in the world of maths, science and health and teaching them about the benefits of sport in a fun and interactive way,” he said.

Bisinella, one of the region’s largest residential and industrial developers, has been proudly sponsoring sporting clubs and programs in the City of Greater Geelong for the past 25 years.

Bisinella has sponsored BioCATS since 2015 and in early 2018 announced a three-year extension of this sponsorship.

“The chance for children to be active and play sport is vital for our community," Mr Bisinella said.

"BioCATS not only teaches students about the science and maths behind football, it reinforces the many benefits which come with sport and leading a healthy lifestyle.”
For more details about BioCATS  http://www.biolab.vic.edu.au/biolab-programs/biocats/