A Futures Expo hosted recently by CQU Emerald Bachelor of Learning Management students was a huge success.

The displays at Emerald Market Plaza were centered on preferred futures for the community.

The exhibition included five displays addressing four issues that the students considered to be important to the local community; ‘Say No to Plastic Bags’, ‘Recycling’, ‘Gem Mining’ and ‘The Food of the Future’.

The students from the ‘Say No to plastic Bags’ installation felt they were successful in educating the public about the damage plastic bags can cause in our environment, as generally people were unaware of statistics in this area.

Due to sponsorship from BMA Coal and Emerald Shire Council this group was able to give away 200 green bags to community members on the day to encourage the use of biodegradable bags and ultimately reduce the amount of plastic bags in society. The groups involved in ‘Recycling’ believe that they educated many community members about the recycling facilities in Emerald.

‘Food of the Future’ involved the development of an interesting, nutritious and quick lunch or snack. The group created an advertisement and a 'feel the future' interactive activity which proved to be popular and seemed to provoke the curiosity of the public.

Students were pleased to have the opportunity to teach community members about important futuristic issues.

Photos: Displaying the Recycling path are Nicole Cameron & Brook Hollis. Showing off Green Bags are Kate Sullivan and Kristie Pollard.