March 7, 2013
Kingaroy State High School’s popular “Active Citizen” program has been bringing together senior students and community groups since 2003.
Once a year, students and their parents gather to hear one-minute “pitches” from groups ranging from the Wondai Show Society to the Burrandowan Picnic Race Club.
The students are then invited to sign up with a group for 12 months.
The 2013 sign-up night was held on Wednesday evening at Kingaroy State High School and was preceded by a barbecue organised by the school’s hospitality students.
Principal David Ballin, who came up with the Active Citizen concept, emphasises the students are not “volunteers” … they’re joining in with the groups to learn.
For example, they could attend organisational meetings for the Salvation Army’s Red Shield Appeal or help the Kingaroy-Taabinga Rotary Club plan its annual Bookarama.
Representatives from 25 community groups provided information about their organisations this year.
Mr Ballin said he had introduced the program to help build “community capacity”; ideally the students will continue their connections with local community groups after they leave school.
The Kingaroy initiative has proven so successful that it was presented to other Queensland high school teachers recently in Brisbane as a positive way to help build links between schools and the communities they serve.
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