Stories From My Life

A project that supports students to achieve outcomes in personal, professional and enterprising skills aligned to VCE or VCAL study.

About The Project

An intergenerational program that captures career and life stories from our ageing local communities.

Stories from My Life (SFML) is an intergenerational partnership project that brings together Secondary Schools and organisations from the Aged Care Industry, such as an Aged Care Facility or Senior Community Program or Service.

The focus of SFML is for students to learn about the life and career journey of a local senior resident. This learning is documented and prepared for presentation and/or print material by the students to present at the conclusion of the project. All activities related to this ten-week project, such as the induction, planning and preparing for the interview, collating and developing the information into a presentation or document and sharing the learnings with fellow students and citizens is aligned to the school curriculum (VCE or VCAL).

The aim of this project is to increase:

  • The opportunity for students to engage with local senior and aged persons to develop personal and professional related skills,
  • Help reduce social isolation for our local aging population,
  • Provide an opportunity for a two-way learning process through the sharing of life stories,
  • Document and celebrate the lives of our aging community and;
  • To achieve student education outcomes in literacy, personal development and work related skills.

Projects Undertaken in 2019 - 2020

Four projects have been successfully facilitated as follows:

  • VCAL students from Our Lady of Mercy College and Ivanhoe Blue Cross Aged Care
  • VCAL students from Montmorency Secondary College in partnership with Montmorency RSL
  • VCAL students from Melbourne Polytechnic in partnership with Heidelberg Estia Health
  • VCAL students from Greensborough Secondary College and in partnership with Grace Villa Aged Care
Montmorency students thanking their Montmorency RSL member for sharing his time, life and career journey.

Montmorency students thanking their Montmorency RSL member for sharing his time, life and career journey.

Photo 2

VCAL students from Montmorency Secondary School, presenting on their project findings to fellow students and Montmorency RSL members.

Nillumbik Intergenerational Cooking and Wellness Project Video, 2018

Many local Secondary Schools and Aged Care Services in the region have successfully collaborated as part of this project since 2006 (facilitated by BNLLEN). To hear about one of the project partnerships from staff and students at Diamond Valley College and Nillumbik Shire Council (2018),
click here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZLyaVIZQvo

If you would like to find out more about SFML, contact tiziana@bnllen.org.au