YEAR nine students from Healesville High School took centre stage at the Making a Difference Youth Forum held at Swinburne University lecture hall on Thursday 28 November.
Groups of students who have worked on community projects presented PowerPoint presentations and talked about the projects that had challenged them to make a difference in their own and other communities.
Projects this year ranged from running a basketball tournament for local primary schools to raising money and awareness of the Ponheary Ly Foundation in Cambodia.
Other projects tackled issues including positive body image, fighting wildlife extinction, depression and suicide, raised money for the Salvation Army, worked on a Landcare program and surveyed the Healesville community on issues such as crime, employment education and youth services.
The students worked with a number of business, community and government organisations and local schools.
The benefits gained in building communication and organisational skills, as well as gaining valuable insights into the challenges, frustrations and rewards of working in the wider world were highlighted in the presentations.
Talking audience members through their MAD ideas from concept to completion, the students spoke frankly and with confidence not only of their successes but of the things that didn’t go to plan and how they turned those experiences around.
Teamwork and communication were key themes in every presentation.
Another important recurring theme was appreciation for the role their Swinburne mentors had played in providing encouragement, practical advice and sharing skills.
Swinburne senior lecturer Doc Wallace described the projects and the presentations on the night as outstanding.
“I hope the program benefits you now but is also a program you can take into the future in whatever endeavour you hope to pursue,” he said.
