The Windaroo
Valley SHS Connect Program focuses on providing opportunities for students,
aged between 12 and 17 years, to develop further their social, academic, and leadership
abilities, in a non-threatening and non-competitive environment.
The
participants may have been chosen for several reasons. Some may have been
exhibiting great leadership potential. Others may benefit from the outdoor
adventure experiences. Some may have been disengaging from schooling. Some may
have been identified by their school community of being at risk from a multitude of environmental and/or personal factors.
[ See Attachment #1:
Graphic Overview of Connect Program. ]
The program
begins with the selection and formation of a small group of young people in the
school and proceeds with a sequenced series of core experiences over a 12-month
period. This process goes alongside the integrated and long-term support of the
SUQ Chaplaincy Service and possibly other support services in the school.
Philosophy
We believe
that relationships are both a key foundation and goal of any intervention
strategy. The child’s connection to one or more significant people, can provide
friendships/mentorships, and guidance can act as a major protective factor when
young people are faced with unproductive temptations. Relationships developed
in the context of a supportive community can provide both opportunities and the
environment in which the young person can try on new values and integrate them
into their own life.
Aims and Benefits
There are many
potential benefits for participants of an adventure-based program. These benefits can be divided into the
categories of psychological, sociological, educational, physical and spiritual.
The Connect program specifically aims for the following benefits for
participants:
1. Psychological
The Connect
Program aims to enhance and strengthen the self-image of the young people who
participate in the program. “Self-image” is the way in which people view or
perceive themselves, their attitudes, beliefs, feelings and personal
expectations. An enhanced self-image will increase in self-confidence of the
young people who participate.
The program is
conducted in such a way that students will experience success, even those with
limited physical abilities. Through participation, both young people and
trainee leaders can increase their confidence in their ability to learn and
achieve.
2. Sociological
The Connect
Program aims to help young people develop their relationships and positive
behaviours with others. This involves the development of their ability to
communicate and cooperate with others; to respect others; and to act with
compassion toward others.
The Connect
Program requires young people to work within a small group environment over an
extended period to accomplish required tasks and safely engage in the camps and
activities. This provides opportunities for listening to others' ideas, being
offered and accepting leadership responsibilities, and becoming a member of a
clearly identifiable team with clear-cut goals and tasks.
3 Educational
The Connect
Program aims to take advantage of the many educational benefits that can be gained
from participation in adventure-based learning programs. Young people can gain
new insights and learn new skills that have an application in other areas of
their life. They can also develop a
heightened sense of well being through their achievements in increasingly
challenging activities. Both of these benefits have application in other
educational settings.
The Connect
Program also aims to enhance the young person's abilities in goal setting,
problem solving, conflict resolution, values clarification and environmental
awareness.
While many of
these skills and processes are taught in classrooms, the outdoor environment
introduces an element of experience and application to the teaching situation.
In addition, participants are provided opportunities to clarify the distinction
between needs and wants. On the Connect
camps amenities are often nonexistent. Young people must prioritise what is
actually needed and obtainable versus what they would like to have (ie. a warm,
soft bed; comfortable place to sit; watching T.V; a meal provided etc.)
[
See Attachment #2: Example of Educational Objectives. ]
4. Physical
The Connect
Program aims to help young people benefit from increased fitness, skills,
strength, coordination and balance. The very nature of the camps and activities
conducted in the program require a degree of physical exertion and movement.
5. Spiritual
In the context
of The Connect Program, spiritual development is understood as an exploration into what is involved in
becoming human. This exploration can happen as participants on the program
develop relationships with themselves, other people, the world around them and
their religious beliefs.
An important
aim of The Connect program is a development of spirituality - to provide
opportunities for young people to formulate their own beliefs, while developing
a sense of meaning and connectedness within the context of their relationships.
The activities and temporary community living of The Connect Program camps have
the potential to deal holistically with these relationships and presents a
forum where all four relationships interact dynamically together.
Key Elements
The Connect Program is uniquely placed to provide a
program that benefits at risk young people in a state school setting.
The elements outlined below are considered the essential elements of a Connect
Program that make the program unique:
1.
Adventure based learning process
Adventure
based and experiential learning involves learning by doing, reflection on what
has been learned, and application of learning to real life. The unfamiliar
environments and novel activities involved create an element of controlled
disequilibrium for young people allowing them to be challenged in safety. This style
of learning has been particularly beneficial for engaging young men in
learning.
2. Long
term program over 12 months
The long-term nature of the program has a number of
benefits. It allows time for more meaningful relationships to develop between
young people and leaders, and young people and each other; for participants to
“try on” new values and learning over time and multiple opportunities to see if
they “fit” for them. In the context that Scripture Union is our chosen
“Provider”, it allows for young people to see Christian community at work over
an extended period of time and in a variety of settings. (Please note that
students and Leaders of all religions participate.) Some research suggests that
changes in values and behaviours made as a result of long-term programs are
more resilient and durable than changes made as a result of short-term
programs.
3.
Increased challenges over time
It is
important for young people to have sense of success and achievement and this is
why the Connect Program increases the challenges to young people gradually over
the time the program runs. Participants are given the opportunities to learn
the various skills they need to be successful on the camps and the increased
challenges take place in the context of the growing relationships within the
group. The leaders run activities that will give participants a sense of
“adventure” or “frontier adventure”, but not “misadventure”.
4.
Reflection and journaling
Reflection is
an important part of adventure based and experiential learning process - “an
unreflected experience is a wasted experience”. Journaling helps this process,
giving the participants a personal record of their experiences and a useful
tool for personal and group debriefs. The journal includes photos, personal
goals and key learning along the way.
5.
Integrated support through Chaplaincy Services in state schools
Another
valuable aspect of Connect is its commitment to long-term, integrated support.
Young people journey alongside the Connect Worker, the SUQ Chaplain, other
young people, school staff, and volunteer leaders – all people they can access
on almost a daily basis - as they seek to evaluate and implement changes in
their life. One of the key protective factors in the resilience of young people
is the presence of a significant adult. SUQ Chaplains and other Connect leaders
earn the right, through participation in shared experiences, to assist young
people in the achievement of their goals.
6.
Involvement of families
Connect recognises that families know and love their
kids better than other people do and that families are the most important
people of influence in the lives of young people. Involving the families in the
Connect process builds trust and creates an opportunity to serve the whole family.
It also helps leaders to see the young person as a whole person, in the broader
context of their lives.
7.
Leadership development
Connect offers
mentoring and leadership development on all levels of the program. Everyone
gets a chance to learn and grow as young people, leaders, and parents. One of
the main aims of Connect is to provide a temporary community designed for
growth in areas of health, relationships, and spirituality.
8.
Qualifications to be gained
Another
benefit of the program is that all participants receive a Work Reference from
the Prawn Farm camp and we are working toward the program a Certificate 2 in
Outdoor Recreation.
Selection Process
Students may
nominate, or be nominated / referred in a variety of ways:
·
Admin
Referrals
·
Chaplain
Referrals
·
Intag
Referrals
·
Teacher
Referrals
·
Parent
Nomination
·
Student
Self Referral
Please
note that the make-up of the group is vitally important to the successful
development of the group. By the very nature of the Outdoor Adventure
Experience, life-threatening dangers do exist. Please appreciate that the
Principal (Dennis Irvine) and Leaders (Roy Devine, Glen Vincent, Randell
Waddell, and Alan Whitchurch) must give serious consideration for each of the
participant’s potential for contributing positively in safety considerations
for both themselves and for other people.
As such, all enquiries about student
participation should be made directly to the Principal, and to the Leaders
whose lives may be endangered, striving to rescue students in the event of some
unfortunate situation developing.