Every Thursday at Youth Off The Streets’ EDEN College, a once-empty workshop bustles with activity. Five students from the SOLAR (Schooling via Off-campus Learning for At-Risk students) Stage 5 program are learning woodworking – crafting planter boxes, mirrors, coat hangers and other functional items.
Their carpentry skills may not have come naturally to them – but thanks to the dedicated efforts of School Manager Dawn Grant-Skiba, Youth Worker Ray Saipele and woodwork teacher Sean Baggott, these students are finding new enthusiasm and a sense of empowerment through their craft.
Youth Off The Streets’ SOLAR program, the brainchild of Education Innovation Lead Amy Gill, blends online and in-person learning to help young people re-engage with their education.
Core curriculum-based subjects (English, Maths, History, Geography, Science and PDHPE) are taught through project-based activities. Students also engage in Personal Interest Projects on a topic they are passionate about. They receive a high level of support from teachers, learning support officers, youth workers and school psychologists to overcome social isolation, mental and physical health problems, homelessness, and other barriers to school attendance.
The woodworking workshop was Dawn’s idea to encourage more engagement with school and better outcomes for students. Alongside Ray, she designed a program to offer them vocational skills and an outlet for their creativity – as well as the chance for male students to engage with positive male role models.
“As a youth worker, it’s my goal to open up as many opportunities as possible for young people,” says Ray.
“We noticed there were limited pathways into apprenticeships for the boys in particular.”
The solution? Revitalise the school’s workshop.
“EDEN College has a great campus but not every space was being put to use,” says Ray. “So Dawn made the suggestion to get the workshop up and running and hire a woodwork teacher.
“Then, boys finishing Year 10 could have solid foundations to pursue an apprenticeship. We also hoped it would improve their school attendance – and it has.”
With woodwork teacher Sean joining the team, his teaching style – borne of a background in engineering – is enabling the beginner students to develop projects with scale and purpose.
“Smart goals are achievable goals. Strategically, we’ve started on projects that are achievable for a beginner but show impact and develop core skills. Mirrors, planter boxes, things like that,” says Sean.
“The projects are functional, they’ll beautify the school, and they have scale. Most boys like to see their work have impact.”
The classes quickly became more than just a chance to try woodworking.
“I’m here for them not just as a carpentry teacher, but as a mentor on their journey to adulthood,” Sean explains. “My philosophy is to help them with the social as well as the technical skills. They’re gaining the technical skill to complete a project and the social skills to know how to support each other and ask for help.”
In Sean’s classes, the process is just as important as the finished product.
“Whatever the young people create,” explains Sean, “as long as they gain confidence using the tools, being proactively safe and building teamwork, that’s more important than whatever object they’re working on.
“The process is where the learning takes place.”
Students Caleb*, Jayden* and Zachary* are equally enthusiastic about the woodworking program.
“I’m making planter boxes with softwood, hardwood and plywood,” explains Zachary, who has attended the workshop consistently this term. “I’m following a design that Sean’s given me and learning how the different types of wood can work for the project. I’ve also made a mirror, some hat hooks, doorstoppers. And a chair stool, that was fun.
“It’s pretty nice seeing something I’ve made.”
“Zachary did a fantastic job with the stool. Each boy is focused on building different skills, whether more technical or teamwork-based,” Sean observes. “But they’ve all made progress that’s out of sight from where they were originally. “I can see how satisfied they are with their work.”
It is this progress that brings smiles to the students’ faces.
Caleb shares, “I joined in because I thought it was something good to do, better than Maths. I like learning the equipment and problem-solving as I go.”
“It’s fun trying something new with Sean here to help. I like his and Ray’s company. They’re easy to talk to,” adds Jayden.
“Sean is a really good teacher. I’d rate him 10/10 for helping me learn new skills.”
Since the program started, the students’ attendance at school has improved vastly. So too have their social skills and their enthusiasm for learning.
“If I can measure the success of my teaching, it’s by how much these guys want to be here. And how they’re furthering skills for their future – they have skills for an apprenticeship, to maintain a home,” says Sean.
“That sense of personal satisfaction in making stuff, it helps them mature as individuals.”
“Comparing their school attendance before and after woodworking started is like night and day,” adds Ray.
“These guys constantly surprise me. They went from hanging out alone or avoiding school to walking round the campus, talking to other students and smiling. I’m so proud of them for showing up and the work they’ve been doing.”
For more information about Youth Off The Streets’ SOLAR Program, click here.
*Names changed to protect the privacy of the young people.