COMMUNITY ACTION

Year 9 Community Action-Civics has commenced with one class at City Experience and the other completing Community Service at a variety of aged care services and agencies for people with intellectual and physical challenges.  Students have participated in activities such as the Community Day tour, SCOPE (ex-Spastic Society of Victoria) workshops and the Skate Mentoring (Disability) Program so they can begin to make connections with their local and wider communities. This year the students at Community Service have been helping with fund-raising activities such as sausage sizzle for Yarraville Village (aged care) and a car wash at David House (disability day-care). One Civics student commented that “Learning about helping others and becoming involved in our community is what the Community Action course is based around but getting out and actually raising money for a good cause is really satisfying.” Students this year will continue the fundraising by asking for donations during the Community Service Announcement of our SYN (90.7FM) radio show on Friday mornings during City Experience throughout the year. Next term Community Action students will present the results of their Local Investigations to the Mayor of Maribyrnong at the town hall, where they will receive their SCOPE ‘See the Person’ Disability Engagement Certificate for their Term 1 Community Service. The Civics program has been running for more than 10 years and continues to organically morph as new opportunities arise. For example, this term’s Community Service at Brenbeal Kindergarten has resulted in a cross-curricular collaboration which will see Jak Dunstan’s VCAL students build and install bookcases at the cancer ward waiting room at Western General Hospital. True community connections at Footscray City College as our learning journey continues.

Stephen Croci - Community Action teacher