Year 9 students making a difference

The Year 9 Community Project encourages students across our Wheelers Hill and Caulfield campuses to find a cause that they are passionate about and take action within their broader community. The process develops international mindedness and aims to instil a sense of cultural awareness, connection and compassion – a desire to make a difference to the world around us. Here is a snapshot of some of our students’ 2023 Year 9 Community Projects.

Following their Year 9 Kakadu Program in the NT where they worked with students from Jabiru Area School (JAS), Nina and Chloe were inspired to organise an arts supplies fundraiser to expand the JAS arts program, while Rebecca and Ella created a picture story book based on their experience to educate the wider public on authentic Indigenous stories. Travis and Rohan ran AFL footy clinics for the JAS students while they were there.

Leon created care packages for front line health care workers to show them they are still very much in our thoughts.

Isha, Yasmine and Irsheen created an app to help young people plan their food and nutrition and promote healthier lifestyles.

Hue and James hosted a Trivia and Bingo afternoon for the elderly in our School community to bring a bit of fun back into their day.

Jada and Ruby ran basketball clinics at their local primary schools with the aim of sharing their skills and experiences with younger students in their communities to help them enjoy basketball as much as they do – and, of course, develop their skills. 

Edward and Lenny pursued their sporting interests by volunteering to help the U8s coaches at the East Malvern Knights Football Club. Their goal was to learn about coaching and help develop skills and drills to help improve the team’s performance.

Amanda, Annabel and Grace are passionate about raising money and awareness for the Cancer Council Victoria to go towards crucial research and support for current patients. They combined this with their love of cooking, baking and selling delicious brownies at the Elwood Market.

Quincy and Wilkie organised after-school tutoring sessions at Elsternwick Primary School with the aim of empowering students to get involved in their learning and to inspire them to try hard at school and improve their grades. They role modelled this through inspiring tutorials and study techniques.

HOUSE SERVICE AS ACTION PROJECTS

There’s also a lot happening in the Year 9 Service as Action space, where each House is collaborating on a service initiative over the coming months. The MYP Service as Action Programme requires students to take an active part in the communities in which they live and seeks to deepen knowledge and understanding of the world around them. In Year 9, they collaborate in House groups to lead a service initiative that addresses a need within a community through various initiatives around advocacy, social justice, lifestyle choices or fundraising, to name a few. 

Kurrle House have been advocating and raising money for the Robert Connor Dawes (RCD) Foundation to spread awareness about brain cancer. A big part of this is supporting Connor’s Run on 10 September – creating posters, developing mindfulness games and activities, and holding a fundraising BBQ and bake sale. A group of students also interviewed Liz Dawes, founder of RCD, to help bring greater awareness to this cause. Liz spoke about her late son Robert Connor, the difference the fundraising has made, and how the Caulfield Grammar School community can get involved. The video was shared with the School community.

Davies House is raising awareness and funds for the charity FORaMEAL, which helps provide emergency relief meals for those impacted by natural disasters. Each year over 250,000 meals are provided free of charge to vulnerable individuals and families across the Asia Pacific region in times of disaster. ​So far, Davies House students have raised over $1000 through a sausage sizzle, bake sale and meal packing day at Caulfield Grammar.