It was a true Mad Hatter's tea party as Gladstone's Bachelor of Learning Management students and a handful of willing children boarded CQUniversity's Harbour Festival Parade float this week.

The float's design was a credit to the students' creativity, the leadership of Kyle Stein and the imagination of Early Childhood Lecturer Lyn Hughes, who was able to use netting in some amazing ways.

Dressing up was just part of the day with children taking on community service identities such as police, doctors, firemen and soldiers, while BLM students resembled characters straight out of Johnny Depp's Alice in Wonderland. The children enjoyed the entire experience of the parade as well as the chance to blow bubbles into the crowd.

CQUniversity's participation in the parade had a two-fold objective - firstly it formed part of the Disaster Management Project which is running in conjunction with the Gladstone Regional Council; and secondly it showcased the talent and creativity that is coming out of the University's teacher cohort.

Education lecturer Julianne Impiccini said the parade was a wonderful day for all involved.

"It was great to see the smiles on the faces of the children who seemed to take to role-playing the police, firemen, doctors etc. It was even better to hear the clapping from the crowd as our float journeyed up Goondoon Street and over to the marina area."

The students handed out many sweets and close to 700 flyers promoting the University's Disaster Management Project.

"We saw people in the crowd bopping to the catchy rap compilation and the BLM students who walked the parade, also from time to time, had that certain cool swagger 'happenin'.  All in all, a worthwhile part of the project, helping to get our message out into the wider community!"