The Pavilion is a pilot program established in 2007 that offers an educational setting for young people within the Northern Metropolitan Region who are disengaged from education and/or training. The Pavilion is largely an outcome resulting from the initiative of the Alternative Education Working Group (represented by the BNLLEN and the Banyule Nillumbik Youth Services Network) and the Northern Metropolitan Region of the Department of Education.  Building on the initiative The Pavilion Working Group was established in 2006 to specifically address the absence of education options for young people who have disengaged early from education and live in or can access the Heidelberg West areas .

The Pavilion is strongly supported by a range of collaborative partners which have provided considerable contributions of time, resources and expertice to ensure a viable beginning for the program. For example, Banyule City Council has provided the venue, Berry Street Victoria has contributed time, money and resources to prepare the building prior to occupancy, Heidelberg West Neighbourhood Renewal has contributed $17,600 to assist with the development of programs, provide resources and explore the development of a TYPO Station program targeted at disengaged youth and the Northern Metropolitan Regional Office of Do E have provide some furnishings and fully funded a part-time Program Coordinator for 2007.

While being an integral part of La Trobe Secondary College, The Pavilion is housed in the old soccer pavilion located at the Olympic Sport s Ground in Cravelli Street, West Heidelberg.

The Pavilion is designed as a transition and/or re-integration centre and has successfully engaged 25 young people between the ages of 15-19 and who wish to access educational support.  The Pavilion is modelled on the “Link Up” program in Ballarat and is tailored to meet the individual needs of each student. Using a case management model, the Pavilion intends to provide a holistic approach to each young person’s needs while promoting a strong literacy and numeracy programme. The Pavilion staff provide an alternative and flexible form of education that maintains a strict adherence to the educational standards set by the Department of Education.

Student Criteria

Relationships Flowchart

The BNCG is a collaborative group of all of the careers coordinators within Banyule and Nillumbik and many of the members are actively involved in a variety of working parties.

The purpose of the group is to exchange information, coordinate strategies, share ideas and generally support each other to be more effective in facilitating young people through their chosen career pathways. They are also an effective vehicle for disseminating information, initiating and influencing change.

The BNLLEN plays an active role in supporting the group by providing input and support, updating the group regarding changes within the community (policy, programs etc), providing linkages to various organisations and services relevant to young people, offering and delivering PD and generally presenting the group with opportunities. 

The group managed the School Based New Apprenticeship program for three years until the funding ceased in 2005. This year the group is sponsoring the continued support of School based Apprenticeships through additional strategies to support the increased involvement and understanding of the Australian School based Apprenticeship program. The group is also supporting the publication of the School Leavers Guide.

Every year the group organises in partnership with other career groups in the Northern Metropolitan Region the Careers Expo. This year the Expo will be held at the Darebin Arts Centre on June 22 nd and over 800 young people are expected to attend.

The President of the BNCG, Hari Nikolaou can be contacted via Charles La Trobe P-12 College on (03) 9497-3822.

The Working Community program is an alternative curriculum option for students in years 10 to 12 that is run in partnership with the Advance Program funded through the Office for Youth. 

Working Community aims to develop the enterprise or soft generic skills or what the program terms TLC, (teamwork, leadership and communication) skills through student-led community-based projects.  Students develop their community projects and then link the skills they have learned with industry by talking to employers about their projects and receiving feedback on the world of work.  The program also emphasises the positive interdependence and support young people can gain from their peers.

The collaborative partnership between the BNLLEN and the Office for Youth enabled funding for the BNLLEN to coordinate a cluster model for the running of the Working Community/Advance program in two schools, Eltham High School, and Diamond Valley College. 

The BNLLEN and teachers from Diamond Valley College and Eltham High School would like to extend their gratitude and appreciation to the many community organisations who continue to support the Working Community program and our young people.

For further information on the Advance / Working Community Program please contact Colleen Hughes or Kate Rhodes.

The Aim of Working Community              The 5 Phases                  The Empowering Process

Advance - Tools for Schools

***Please find below an article from our 2009 October - December Newsletter written by the proud parent of a Working Community student***

PROUD PARENT SUPPORTS WORKING COMMUNITY PROJECT

Raising three teenagers, aged 15, 16 and 18 is interesting to say the least. Every day brings challenges, mood swings and rewards. The mood swings are abrupt, loud and a little crazy, the challenges range from small to large and require a degree in psychology, and the rewards are golden - rare and precious. The older my children become, the more I realise how different they are. They like different things, they think differently, they react differently and they learn differently. This brings me to my 16 year old daughter.

She attends Eltham High School and is currently completing year 10. Last year, whilst attending year 9 parent/teacher interviews, it became apparent that school was not her occupation of choice. In fact, we soon realised that she had not put in a full day of school over a period of 2 terms. I dropped her off in the morning and picked her up in the afternoon, and assumed that she was in class learning along with the rest of her peers. When we asked her about her lack of attendance, she simply told us that she hated sitting in a classroom all day learning things that didn't interest her. This pattern of behaviour continued for the remainder of year 9, despite continuing encouragement from teachers and "bribes" from us. Nothing worked.

On entering year 10, we held our breath, hoping that we would not have another year like the last. We had carefully selected subjects that would keep her interested, and hopefully keep her in school. One of those subjects was "Working Community" - a subject we had never heard of and knew nothing about. As it turns out, it was the best thing we ever did.

Students are encouraged to work in pairs or groups, and to come up with an idea that involves the broader community, with the hope of impacting in a beneficial and positive way. My daughter and her friend decided on organising a music event to raise money for breast cancer. When she first told me about this I admired her hopes and dreams, but quietly had my doubts that this would even eventuate. I couldn't have been more wrong.

In October, at the Diamond Creek Community Centre, this music event came to fruition. Not only was it organised to the very last detail, but they managed to raise $2,048.00 for The Breast Cancer Foundation.

Firstly, they organised local artists to entertain. Secondly, they walked the streets of Eltham, Greensborough and Diamond Creek, asking local retailers if they could donate items from their shops. Every person they spoke to gladly donated items for the girls to make hampers - a reflection of the generosity of our community to a wonderful cause. Next, they had to organise a sausage sizzle. My daughter would be on the phone, speaking to total strangers, explaining her mission and then asking for help. She was continually amazed at the willingness from people to help. I was continually amazed at the growth I saw in my daughter as she made her dream a reality.

Last year, if I asked her if she needed a day home from school, she would jump at the chance. This year her response was "No. I have Working Community today". My daughter changed from an unruly teenage school girl, to a mature, responsible school girl. "Working Community" became a subject of growth. She had to deal with adults in an adult world. Her achievement in this subject has been outstanding, and the life lessons she has learnt have been invaluable.

After the event was over, I asked her what the main lesson was that she had learnt. She said "Now I know I can do anything if I put my mind to it". She was proud of herself, proud of her community and had a new respect for her school and her teachers. Once she felt better about herself, she felt better about everything.

I applaud Eltham High School and the Banyule Nillumbik LLEN for making "Working Community" available to students. Not everyone learns the same way. Some kids do wonders in a classroom, but other kids learn better in a hands-on environment. Too many students can slip through the cracks if they are not engaged in what they are doing. "Working Community" offers an alternative to mainstream learning.

As a footnote to this story, my daughter just completed her year 10 exams. She received 92% (A plus) for Maths and 80% (B) for English.

Am I a proud parent? Absolutely! When a child feels pride within themselves, and confidence, it is amazing what they can achieve.

Regards, Jacqui Wilson.

Parent, Eltham High School

The BNYSN is the major connecting body for youth services across Banyule and Nillumbik. It covers a breadth of issues affecting young people and includes workers in a range of fields.

The purpose of the BNYSN includes:

• Identifying young people’s needs and priorities;
• Service planning and development to foster successful outcomes for young people;
• Information, resources sharing and development opportunities for professionals to enhance quality services to young people;
• Proactive lobbying at local, regional, state and national levels to improve outcomes for young people.

The BNYSN is a vehicle that offers a chance for Youth Workers to network and work with a diversity of agency representatives. It encourages open access for workers and agencies to participate in a variety of ways that tap into their expertise and knowledge and encourages cross sectoral collaboration.

 A major achievement of the BNYSN has been the development of the Integrated Youth Services Systems (IYSS). The model has been developed for young people ‘at risk’ and families in crisis.  The features of the Integrated Youth Services System are:

• Common forms
• Common procedures
• Shared commitment to and ownership of the service system
• Current and comprehensive service information source
• Quality Intake process
• Centralised data collection of regional needs, waiting lists, issues

Meetings of the BNYSN are generally held the second Friday of the Month at the Ivanhoe Centre. Any inquiries should be directed to Lindsay Round on 9433-3150

The BNLLEN has initiated two principal networks. 

The 3081 Banyule Principals Network is a collaborative partnership, totalling four schools in the Banyule area: Banksia SC, Macleod P-12 College, La Trobe SC, and Bundoora SC. Through the Network the Professional Development (PD) Coordinators were successful in receiving $27,000 Federal funding from the Quality Teacher Program to run a series of professional development activities to set up leadership teams in 2005 and 2006. 

The BNLLEN has also been working closely through the Network with the Northern Metropolitan Region (NMR) to consider educational provision for the West Heidelberg area both long and short term..

The BNLLEN is part of the post compulsory working party that is looking at how the schools can work cooperatively to combine and extend the range education programs and maximise student choice without disadvantaging individual schools. 

The Nillumbik Principals Network which is facilitated in partnership with the BNLLEN includes four schools: St Helena Secondary College, Montmorency Secondary College, Eltham High School and Diamond Valley College. The 4 schools are engaged in and are exploring further options for collaborative activities, including a internet safety program which is being developed in partnership with other local schools the Nillumbik Community Health Centre and the Victoria Police and a range of other activities still in the early development stages.