Student Leadership

World Vision Youth Conference

On Thursday 23 May a group of Junior and Middle School leaders attended a World Vision Youth Conference at the Melbourne Convention Centre. Here are two perspectives of the event from the students who attended.

Perspective One

The conference covered various global issues such as climate change, poverty and displacement. In the first session we were shown various video clips of countries undergoing warfare and a large number of refugees and internally displaced people. An inspiring guest speaker, Khadija Gbla, then shared with us her journey to Australia as a refugee and enlightened us as to some of the obscure processes about becoming a refugee. The last session of the day was about the 2019 40 Hour Famine Backpack Challenge which raises awareness and funds to support the needs of refugees and displaced people. We also learnt about the negative effects that some of our everyday actions are making on our environment, and that even making some small changes can make a world of difference.

This day empowered us to do all we can to save our planet and the people on it.

By Teah Harridge (8D Class Captain)  & Chloe Shovelar (Year 8 & Junior School Captain)

Perspective Two

A group of students from Mentone Girls' Secondary College were given the opportunity to engage in the 2019 World Vision Youth Conference, hosted at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. This conference taught students about leadership and provided insight into what the world is like outside our immediate perception. We heard from a guest speaker, Khadija Gbla, who talked about her experience as a refugee coming into Australia and about what she does to support women in Australia who are surviving with Female Genital Mutilation.

To give us more direct leadership experience we also played a game that allowed us to attempt to  colonise Mars. They split us into two groups and whilst half of us stayed on the dying earth, the other half were sent to Mars in an attempt to colonise it. What we didn't realise, was that every action the Mars group made directly affected the lives of those left on earth and then, in the end, Earth did not survive. This taught us to look at how our leadership decisions affect everyone, not just those directly linked to us.

Finally, we had another guest speaker who talked to us about how he broke the four-minute mile. He explained how the four-minute mile was considered an unattainable time and the significance of the first person who broke it, Roger Bannister. This example was used to illustrate to us that no matter what we are told about something being impossible when you have the willpower and dedication, you can achieve it. The discussion then moved on to the introduction of the 40 Hour Famine Backpack  Challenge which is designed as a fund and awareness raising activity where participants are required to live out of their backpack for 40 hours in the hope of helping people better understand the plight of those living in poverty.

This day taught us lots about leadership, global injustice, social awareness and how we can be visionaries for change.

Mia Evans (Year 10)

College Council Student Representative

Student Leadership and conferences

All student leaders have the opportunity at various time throughout the year to attend conferences designed to build both self-confidence and strength as leaders. We are fortunate at MGSC to have a generous budget that allows many of our students to attend these important events at no cost to families.

All leadership teams have received information about a learning opportunity on Thursday 8 August and are strongly encouraged to read the information on Classroom. MGSC is committed to developing student voice and agency in our school and having our students learn through working with truly inspirational speakers and like-minded students from the broader community. 

Wendy Harvey

Director of Student Leadership & Engagement