| Home I Youth Led Learning I Education I Community I Resources I Newsletters I Facilitator Network I Contact |
|
|||
|
|||
ABN 32797454970 |
||
|
|
Introducing CHANGEMAKERS WACHANGEMAKERS WA is an exciting initiative of Anglicare W.A.
Our purpose is to promote and support educators (and partners) to develop quality initiatives of community based learning (CBL) that result from the leadership, initiative and values of young people i.e. to be known as young person led.
We wish to see this happen with young people of all abilities and within various educational and community settings i.e. school, college, training schemes, labour market programs, youth services, the workplace and the broader community.
The contribution the CHANGEMAKERS approach to community based learning can make a contribution to advancing:
But above all our highest goal/purpose is to promote and support CBL that empowers young people to develop the skills and understandings to not only creatively interact with change, but create it for themselves and their community i.e. to help shape society. |
BackgroundIn December 2001, Anglicare WA Chief Executive, Ian Carter convened a meeting between a number of interested government and community sector representatives to talk with program designer David Turner, about the ‘CHANGEMAKERS' program and the potential for its development and implementation in Western Australia.
Dave's story at that meeting was simple. Increasing numbers of young people are dealing poorly with the challenges posed by transitions in the learning environment and between the worlds of school and work. While a variety of approaches are being taken, it is widely accepted that introducing young people to concepts of ‘project management' and ‘enterprise learning' are central to successful transitions and to productive survival in education.
When working with young people at risk of failure and disconnection from the school system and from longer term engagement in learning the challenge is to find ways of packaging these experiences in an attractive and productive way. CHANGEMAKERS offers such an opportunity and, in the UK context has been shown to offer important avenues to enterprise learning.
When working with higher achieving young people in years 10 to 12, the program has allowed the development of civic leadership, enterprise and other practical and interpersonal skills which often get missed in high pressure TEE and other academic frameworks. The outcomes are well educated and high achieving students with the ability to apply their learning in a practical way in a community they better understand and who are better prepared for the individual learning focus of tertiary education.
CHANGEMAKERS WA has a very clear and very simple mission. Firstly, to provide a new set of learning opportunities for young people which builds a stake in their community, develops their survival and employability skills and acknowledges the learning they achieve on the way. Secondly to build a collaborative network of program facilitators in schools and community agencies, trained, resourced and supported through CHANGEMAKERS WA .
The vision of the participants in that first meeting has been realised in the creation of a new and exciting initiative which teachers and youth workers have found meets their needs and the needs of the young people with whom they work and in the development of this important resource which supports the very valuable program manuals produced by CHANGEMAKERS in the UK. Anglicare is currently concluding arrangements to be the sole Australian supplier of these manuals.
This relationship and that with Dave Turner, now returned to Australia , is even more important as an opportunity to share not only material but also their knowledge and expertise and that of colleagues running CHANGEMAKERS programs in UK and Working Community and Community Dreaming projects (based on CHANGEMAKERS) in Victoria . This is truly an international network that WA schools and youth services can now join.
With the delivery of this W.A Resource Pack we are now able to invite local colleagues to join us in this exciting enterprise as inaugural members of the CHANGEMAKERS Australia Network.
CHANGEMAKERS WA is about supporting your work with young people and assisting schools to achieve great things in the world outside the classroom as a highly productive and accessible learning resource. It is also about assisting young people to become confident and independent members of their communities by assisting the development of skills in the areas of citizenship, personal development, employability and learning.
We look forward to working with you in this exciting new enterprise.
CHANGEMAKERS WA is about supporting your work with young people and assisting schools to achieve great things in the world outside the classroom as a highly productive and accessible learning resource. It is also about assisting young people to become confident and independent members of their communities by assisting the development of skills in the areas of citizenship, personal development, employability and learning.
We look forward to working with you in this exciting new enterprise.
Our partners include:
Changemakers UK
http://www.changemakers.org.uk
Lotterywest
http://www.lotterywest.wa.gov.au
Western Australian Department of Education and Training
Department of Education Science and Training
Office of Children and Young People http://www.community.wa.gov.au/Communities/ChildrenAndYoungPeople/
Changemakers is benefiting from the skills, expertise and commitment of individuals (some of whom are also our project partners) who are part of the Changemakers Advisory Group. The role of this group is to act in an advisory capacity and monitor and assist the development and progress of Changemakers in Western Australia through:
|
|
|
||
 Enterprising minds, active citizens, future leaders |
||