Students, from left back row, Hayley Chandler, Rhiannon Dixon, Meaghan Beales, Finny Tarr-Hatherall, Tanika Cadzow, Rebecca Gerlach and Hayley Scott and, front row, Sarah Ibrahim, Jess Davern and Molly Brown with Swinburne mentor Jackie.
By Kath Gannaway
ASK Healesville High School’s Year 9 students, “are you MAD?” and they will proudly put their hands up.
The students lined up to present their MAD (Making a Difference) projects at Swinburne TAFE on Monday 28 November.
Mentors from Swinburne worked with the students to help them achieve their goals across a range of projects.
“The students worked on projects such as nutrition, bullying awareness and drug education to improving facilities and gardens around at school,” project co-ordinator Gayle Shelley said.
“Our other projects included improving local community facilities such as the rail trail and railway and raising money for homelessness and the Salvation Army to global issues such as providing birthing kits to those in less fortunate countries.”
A cheque for $232 was presented to Salvation Army envoy Graeme Mawson on the night and $1200 was raised for the birthing kits.
The students involved in that project will start their 2012 school year putting together 600 kits.
Students also volunteered at the Robyn Jane Child Care Centre in Healesville and the Good Life Farm and Animal Shelter at Chum Creek.
