Students from Westernport primary schools have led the way in developing solutions to address unprecedented issues raised as the result of the COVID environment as part of the Family Life, Map Your World Program.

Map Your World (MYW) is a digital platform helping empower young people to have a profound impact on their communities. It supports the development of leadership skills in young people to encourage them to create positive change.

As part of the project Family Life gathered student leaders from across three Hastings primary schools to discuss their hopes and their concerns, and best of all, to help find some solutions. Brought together online, the grade six students shared their big worries and fears about the transition to secondary school without any of the usual rites of passage in place to support them, due to the coronavirus.

The students decided that community artwork and a large digital forum could help create a sense of occasion and celebrate their transition. The idea was developed then carried to fruition by community adults in a corresponding Family Life program, Creating Capable Leaders (CCL) and participation from the Mornington Peninsula Shire Youth Services team.

Family Life Project Lead, Rosie Silva said:

“The Grade 6 students were concerned their passage from primary school would go unmarked, as gatherings did not allow them to be celebrated by their community of school and family.

“This project has created a wonderful sense of community and camaraderie where 145 students from seven Mornington Peninsula Primary Schools will now experience a unique celebration of their primary schooling, all thanks to these inspiring students”

The project will involve a live Q&A facilitation session shared on big screens in classrooms throughout November. Staff will be available to answer questions and offer wellbeing and support.

In another component of the project, each student’s handprint of hopes, fears and strengths will extend the project from the classroom into the community. Local shopkeepers happily agreed to support the students in a large scale (almost 200 students) arts project, offering to display the ‘wings of hands’ in shop windows, which the graduating students (or anyone) can stand in front of to be photographed.

Creating Capable Leaders participant and ‘Creative Makes’ Hastings shopkeeper, Melissa Cupidon, said:

“This project has been incredibly inspiring for the adults involved, on top of the joy of being able to help local primary students and create a flow on for the whole community. The local community is coming together to support these kids who need it for now, and into the future.”

The Transitions project was designed by Map Your World students, from three schools, and implemented by Creating Capable Leaders adults, supported by Family Life, Mornington Peninsula Shire Youth Services, and local primary and secondary schools.  For more information about Family Life or the Map Your World program please contact Rosie Silva 0429 864 693.

Media Contact:  Lea Jaensch on 0431 394 379 / ljaensch@familylife.com.au

About:  Family Life is a community service organisation working with disadvantaged children, families and communities across the southern Melbourne region. Through services, support and connections, Family Life’s mission is to enable children, young people and families to thrive in caring communities. The organisation, which has been serving communities for close to 50 years, develops and delivers programs to respond to current and emerging issues in society.

Programs include, but are not limited to, supporting vulnerable parents to build strong attachments with their infants, re-engaging adolescents in continuing their education, helping families whose children are instigating violence in the home, educating older women about financial independence, teaching people about family violence and supporting children and parents who are accessing family violence and family law support services.

Family Life is proud of its exemplary history as a provider of quality services.