By Callum Ludwig
Upper Yarra Secondary College (UYSC) welcomed some special visitors to the school on Thursday 13 June.
Residents of the Estia Health aged care home in Yarra Junction came to the school to meet with the Leadership class who picked them out as a group they wanted to work with.
Mitchell Gray teaches the Leadership class and said when the students got to choose an organisation to connect with and work with, they chose Estia because they wanted to work with the residents.
“This was really exciting that it was their choice, though unfortunately a recent Covid outbreak prevented us from attending their premise, but luckily some could come to us,” he said.
“My students took the residents for a tour of the school including the library and science rooms, we showed them how education had changed in a digital era with examples such as interactive screens and 3D printers,”
“We even introduced them to Ivy, our 2.5-metre carpet python and my students had baked some scones and made some brownies, so we went into the staffroom and had some morning tea.”
Another leadership class at UYSC has been working on supporting children in developing countries through the charity World Vision while previous students have taken on working in kindergartens, providing homecare through the RSL, learning the skills involved in firefighting and first aid with CFA, helping out local primary schools with their sports carnivals and supporting care agencies like the ADRA Redwood Centre in Warburton.
Mr Gray said part of what they try to achieve in Leadership is not just building the skills and experiences of the students but also showing the community what great things young people can and want to do.
“The connection with Estia allows my students to experience community service and all the benefits that volunteering brings, it allows them to work on planning and then leading an activity to build their confidence, communication and pride,” he said.
“The residents were extremely grateful for the excursion. They were really pleased to be connected with UYSC and to experience how things had changed. Most of all, they loved the students and their caring nature and the fact they wanted to get to know them and share experiences.”
