Shalvey High Partnership and Project Work 2004-2008

Bridges engaged Short Black Films to work with nine culturally diverse students from Chifley College-Shalvey High, to write a script and then be actors in a film that is now a DVD called “Freddie Farquars Facts and Fictions”. The film uses humour while that focusing on friendship, the school community and drug issues. Messages included “Shalvey High is a good school,” “It’s important to look out for one’s mate if one is concerned there is a drug problem” and “Families, friendships and support networks are important to support young people to grow strong.” The students wished to be part of a film that presented their school in a positive light, as they considered that stigma was attached to their school. The strengths-based approach was engaging for them. Participating young people spoke about increased connections with different groups within the school as a result of participating in the project. One young person described the experience as “a chance in a lifetime.”

Ms Kathy Carn and students at the Celebrate the Power of Community Event

In August 2004, the Bridges team went to Chifley College Shalvey campus to work with a year 7 Design and Technology class on a project about the Bridges themes. One of the aims of this project was to provide opportunities for young people to be given a voice around alcohol & other drug issues.

The project was led by Kathy Carn, Chifley Centre Coordinator, and Anita Kokkotas, teacher of 7A1. The Bridges team first came and presented a session on the Bridges themes –“there's more to drug issues than drugs”, “strengthening relationships” and “working together”- and asked the students what they thought contributed to harmful drug use. They responded with some very thought provoking answers. Some of the issues that they felt were behind alcohol & other drug issues included family breakdown, peer pressure, the effects of divorce, loneliness, anger.

As part of their class curriculum, they took the issues that they discussed in this session, and over the term designed websites and pamphlets about them. In their work the students also highlighted some strategies that young people and adults could use to deal with problems other than turning to drugs and alcohol.

Four students from the class – Raymund Lambert, Cassandra Vidler, Rachel Lemoe and Todd Rigley – represented 7A1 at the Celebrate the Power of Community event on November 4th, 2004 . They took to the stage and shared their project with the audience and the wider community at Dawson Mall, Mt Druitt.

“Thank you very much to Bridges for giving our students a voice,” said Ms Carn. “Perhaps if we all learned to listen a little more to each other, the world might be an even better place.”