“Leadership is the capacity to translate a vision into reality.” – Warren Bennis.
Students who are a part of the Social Justice, Liturgy, and Environmental Action teams have been actively participating in the many student lead activities conducted this term. Students have done an amazing job in these areas, but there is still much to be done.
Students from the College have been participating in a student representative program called the Global Citizenship Ambassador Program. There were six students selected to drive a Global Citizenship initiative throughout 2024 with a focus on sustainability. As such the program links with the work of our Environmental Action Team. Sessions are chaired by an external mentor, Lottie Dowling. The students have been gathering every three weeks and have participated in online workshops with other students from all over Australia.
The program has been a great opportunity for the College to build on the idea of real student leadership, underpinned by principles of student voice and agency. It has assisted students and staff engage in meaningful online collaboration and develop global competencies, use design thinking to develop a project, enhance intercultural capability and sustainability solutions to real world issues. The program develops young leaders through immersive discovery and learning.
The six students will continue to participate in the program for the remainder of 2024 via online workshop sessions, bringing together their ideas and sharing them with other like-minded students building on a sense of community.
Thomas Carr College has always had a focus on how we can a positive impact on not only our College Community but also the wider City of Wyndham. Our wider community is a fast-growing municipality with a high rate of urban development and with this, comes challenges of habitat loss and fragmentation for local wildlife. The Wyndham City Council’s Habitat Heroes Program has assisted the College to create habitat pockets and improve wildlife corridors on our private land throughout the municipality and through the creation of gardens for wildlife.
Students in the Fire Carrier and Environmental Action Teams have been collaborating with the Wyndham City Council to lead Thomas Carr College’s Indigenous Garden Project. Students have lead discussions about the importance of native habitats, how to prepare the ground for planting and what plants are required for the garden.
We have had an external mentor from the Council who has working with students and staff in further developing our knowledge regarding our local environment and how the initiative is going have a positive impact on our College Wildlife.
Throughout the rest of Term 3, we will also be working on the revegetation of Skeleton Creek where students will have the opportunity to collaborate with Nature West and serve our local community to improve waterways and local environment whilst working towards encouraging others to do the same.
Oliver Pond Amy Venema
Faith & Mission Youth Leader Mission Integration Leader