Over a month, a bunch of teens visited the elderly folks, sharing paint as they decorated terracotta pots, striking up conversations while planting them, and going on dice-rolling adventures during game sessions.
But it wasn’t for television; it was part of a series of collaborative projects between volunteer students from ACE Secondary College and the wider community.
“Our volunteer program is all about community engagement ... and the students walk away with these beautiful skills and experiences,” teacher Síle Coleman said.
One such engagement was with RiverConnect.
Blinking against the sun, the students gathered weekly at a slice of land designated as a local tree planting site to get their hands dirty for conservation.
They removed the guards, watered the thirsty trees, yanked up weeds, and collected rubbish, among other nurturing efforts.
Back on school soil, a different kind of tree needs less tending to.
Crafted from decorative handprints and violet-painted limbs, the collaborative ACE tree stretches across the corridor in the school reception area, a project developed, designed, and executed by Year 10 students.
“All the Year 10s organised and facilitated art workshops for each year level and the teachers,” Síle said.
“Everyone wrote a message or decorated a hand, and those hands became the leaves of the tree.”
Looking ahead, the Gen Z go-getters are set to continue their outreach at an early childcare centre, where they plan to replicate their project with Shepparton Villages.
Rug rats, elderly residents, or an age group in between, it makes no difference – Síle is confident in her students’ abilities to build a “beautiful rapport”.
“I like to get the students out as much as possible, and they rise to the occasion every time,” she said.
– Taylah Baker
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