Program highlight: Mzuri Dance ArtisTree, RISE Together: Culture Club, Fitzroy
We spoke with Suzie, Ayel and Apuot who lead the RISE Together Culture Club to learn more about their program.
What is the Learning Support Program you coordinate?
Mzuri Dance ArtisTree, RISE Together: Culture Club, Fitzroy
The ‘Culture Club’ Homework Club is one component of a three-part program in the RISE Together Project, designed to support both students and their carers beyond school hours. This initiative is delivered by Mzuri Dance ArtisTree in partnership with Nurturing African Generations who delivers the ‘Carers Circle’ program and the ‘Cook Up’ delivered by Mzuri Dance. The RISE Together Project is funded by the Department of Justice and the South Sudanese Expert Working Group.
Is your Learning Support Program community based or school based? Where is it held?
We chose to run the program with a 50/50 split between the partnering school and the community throughout the program’s duration to increase student reach and maximize engagement opportunities. This involved collaborating with the school to deliver the program in the local school hall, fostering student interest and participation directly after school. In the community, we offered the program on Monday afternoons and Saturdays, targeting times when young people had no activities, to further encourage participation.
What is the most rewarding aspect of coordinating a Learning Support Program?
There are several rewarding aspects:
1. Witnessing the profound impact that African facilitators, who have firsthand experience living in High Rise public housing estates, have on African Australian students. These students can relate to and emulate the positive behaviours modeled by their mentors.
2. Celebrating small achievements by recognising young people’s acts of honesty, effort or kindness. Acknowledging these behaviours can significantly influence both their peers and themselves. Also we celebrate their birthdays on the Saturday program making sure there is a cake, and so everyone can sing Happy Birthday and the young person can blow out the birthday cake candles and make a wish.
3. Observing the program’s positive effects on well-being and learning outcomes. The program fosters strong social bonds and a sense of belonging through cultural connections, while also enhancing both real-life and academic learning.
4. Helping the young people when they most need it. Our holistic approach extends care beyond the program’s timeframe in critical situations. African-led facilitators can identify, refer, or address issues affecting students outside program hours, whether at home or beyond school life. By connecting students with necessary support, where we can, we help them transition to a state where they feel safe, allowing them to grow and thrive.
What is one goal you have for your program for the coming months/year and how do you plan to achieve this?
We plan to end the program and the year with a couple of ‘loud bangs’ including a presentation and cultural performance at the Fitzroy Town Hall as well as an end of year BBQ Christmas party with the community coming together, a visit from African Santa, delicious bbq, face painting and cultural dance at Atherton Gardens.
What resources have you found to be particularly beneficial to your students?
Volunteers! We deeply appreciate our volunteers. Additionally, parent and community engagement, along with partnerships with other organisations and government bodies, have been invaluable. Over the years, we’ve benefited from training and mentorship provided by the Centre of Multicultural Youth. Collaborations with programs like the Saturday cook-up have allowed us to offer delicious meals and takeaway options for dinner. Local African mothers and grandmothers have also played a crucial role in fostering intergenerational connections and learning. The grandmothers have so much to offer. For example, one very productive grandmother has just started sharing her expertise in growing traditional South Sudanese vegetables and herbs through her community garden. We hope to secure funding to run another homework club in 2025, allowing the young people to continue benefiting from such rich community resources.
What is some positive feedback you have received from a student or parent on how the program has impacted them?
We have chosen to share feedback from a ‘Young Leader’ student who participated in the RISETogether Culture Club Program. She delivered her thoughts in her own words, crafting her own speech, at the recent MY Education Awards ceremony:
“Hi, my name is Akuech and I am a student Young Leader in the Mzuri Dance program. I have been at Mzuri Dance ArtisTree for about eight years now and I’ve been in the Young Leader program for about two. Mzuri has given me the opportunity to understand young people on a deeper level and engage with members in the community to provide programs that focused on relationship and connections through cultural dance, music and food.
This experience has sparked a passion in me to work in the Youth field to listen to young people’s stories understand their struggles and support them while they navigate through life.
I am currently a year 12 student at the Academy and have a passion for working with youth. There is a high demand out there for Youth workers in the world. I know how it feels to have such a great support system and people to go to when I’m stuck in life, but I’m very aware there are many young people that don’t. So I am inspired to be that person and help young people throughout their journey in life. After I finish high school, I will go out to university and study youth work and community development. Mzuri Dance has helped shape who I am today and has help me find my path so therefore I will help other individuals find theirs.
Mzuri has given me the opportunity to understand young people on a deeper level and engage in the community to provide a program that focuses on forming relationships and connections support while they navigate through life. I am currently student at the Academy and have a passion for working with youth. There is a high demand out there for youth work in the world. I know how it feels to have such a great system and people to go to when I’m stuck in life, but there are many young people that don’t, so I am inspired to be that person and help young people throughout their journey in life. After I finish high school I will go to university and study Youth and Community Development. Mzuri Dance, has helped shape who I am today and has helped me find my path, so therefore I will help other individuals. I’m thankful to be nominated and shortlisted for the MYEducation awards. I look forward to what the future has to offer. Thank you.”
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