Northcote and China part 2: our Young Leaders prepare for departure

Year 9 students head to China for Young Leaders' program

In Term 4, nine Year 9 students, supported by Head of Humanities Liz Lenthall, will depart for a six week journey in China as part of the Victorian Young Leaders to China program. The program is operated by the Victorian Government and is a world-class, in-country immersion experience , designed to prepare students to live and work as citizens and future leaders in an inter-connected global community.  Our students join a team of 88 students, plus staff, from schools around the state and will spend time at Beijing University, experience a school placment in Nanjing at Yangzi High School, and enjoy a cultural tour of Shanghai.  They will work mostly closely with students from Auburn, East Doncaster and Suzanne Cory High Schools.  

The students attending are: Matthew Jackson, Isabelle Young, Nicholas Smith, Neo Diamond, Marlo Petrilli, Ben Murphy, Jacob Clarke, Rose Halloran and Dimitrios Syrbopolous.

The team has spent considerable time and effort preparing for their trip, including a weekend-long Pre-Departure Orientation camp recently, where they learnt strategies for developing cultural awareness, bonded as a group and explored expectations of themselves as leaders and program participants. The weekend also featured  a formal ceremony, attended by the Parliamentary Secretary for Education Judith Graley MP, representatives of the Chinese Embassy and Principals, in which the students were presented with their program blazers.

This program is a wonderful opportunity for our young people, developing resilience and independence, as well as their Chinese language, collaborative and leadership skills.  Northcote High School is proud to be part of the ongoing initiative for the fourth year in a row, and proud of our team. We look forward to learning from their experiences next term.