Last month, with support from the Federal Government’s Safe and Together community program, hundreds of teens living in the Goldfields-Esperance region experienced Youth Choices‘ film and theatre high school incursion program, No Offence, empowered by Constable Care Foundation.
Designed to tackle pressing social issues, the interactive workshops toured Esperance Senior High School and Kalgoorlie’s John Paul College. Award winning No Offence explores how people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds experience racism, bullying, and microaggressions, both accidental and explicit, in an array of situations.
Through facilitated engaging discussions, interactive role play, and redirected scenarios, students examined the diverse perspectives present at their school and in their communities, and continued the development of their appreciation of cultural diversity. Students explored the impact of negative responses and behaviours on personal identities, practiced empathy, and workshopped appropriate ways to speak up and create change, taking steps towards becoming anti-racist, and developing more equitable communities.
Unlike the celebrated Constable Care programs for young children that regularly tour primary schools state-wide, the Foundation’s Youth Choices programs are usually only available to metropolitan secondary schools and community groups.
“We are delighted to have the opportunity to give high school students an educational experience that is usually only available to city teens,” Constable Care Foundation chief executive Ian Anstee said.
“Our Youth Choices programs have an excellent track record in encouraging critical thinking in young people in metro Perth so we aim to extend this impact to remote and regional areas.”
The Goldfields-Esperance tour is part of a year-long project funded by the Safe and Together grant, which will reach up to 4,000 students via five separate tours of each corner of the state. This year the Youth Choices team has already touched down in Karratha, Hedland and Geraldton in Term 3; and the Wheatbelt towns of Northam, Narrogin, Katanning and Quairading in Term 2. The South West region is on the itinerary for November.
“These programs use film and theatre to effectively engage kids and they really do work. An Edith Cowan University evaluation observed an increase in more respectful interactions, stronger decision-making and communication skills, and a much better understanding of the issues explored,” Mr Anstee said.
Learn more about Youth Choices programs here.
