April 10, 2013
An award-winning TV commercial director/producer wants to donate his expertise to help convince parents to send their children to school … every day, on time.
John Lyons was behind an internationally acclaimed road safety campaign and the highly successful Victorian Gun Amnesty campaign.
He has now offered to provide his skills to help instil the “Dream Believe Achieve” concept within children and their families.
He hopes to do this by linking with the Barambah Parental and Community Engagement (PaCE) program, based in Cherbourg.
Mr Lyons is willing to pull together a production team, including noted cinematographer Wayne Aistrope, and work with the Barambah PaCE project to help boost the education culture within its own community and hopefully Australia.
He has contacted Barambah PaCE co-ordinator Marcus Priaulx to run through some ideas.
“He’s excited and has been coordinating with WIN TV in Toowoomba to see how much an ad campaign would cost,” Mr Lyons said.
“He’d come from Melbourne for the cost of travel, accommodation and incidentals only.”
Mr Priaulx is hoping that a grant will pay for the voluntary production crew’s costs and WIN advertising fees. He’s been filling in funding applications but is yet to get a positive reply.
“These guys are in high demand so I want to seize the opportunity while I can,” Mr Priaulx said.
“If there’s anybody out there who can help us, I’d ask they get in touch with either or John or myself at Cherbourg council.
“It’s too good an opportunity to let slip.”
Mr Lyons said the ads he hoped to create would instil belief within parents and children that they could achieve whatever they dreamed of doing.
“Children need a goal to believe school is worthwhile,” Mr Lyons said.
“We need parents to believe in their children and help them to achieve their aims and dreams by sending them to school every day.”
Mr Lyons said it was vital for the future of Australia for this to occur.
“The mineral resources that prop our economy and lifestyle will be depleted in 30-40 years,” he said.
“That will leave a huge gap, particularly in rural employment.
“Manufacturing has more and more become the province of developing countries.
“The future for the developed world lies in ideas and intellectual property. Only education can create that environment.
“Education leads to outcomes that are scalable. Scalability should be the aim of every advanced country.
“Only education can lead to discoveries and ideas that will drive the world’s commerce.
“Education is the starting point and the key.
“We need to get our kids to go to school and be encouraged to grow and develop in that environment or we’ll slip back as our most brilliant minds desert us for countries that have invested in their own people.”
Mr Lyons believes not enough urgency is being put upon a growing problem of children not being made to go to school every day on time.
“That’s why I want to link with the Barambah Parental and Community Engagement (PaCE) program being run in Cherbourg, Queensland,” he said.
“It’s designed to build an education culture within that community and surrounding areas.
“I thought I could offer my help and gave its co-ordinator Marcus Priaulx some ideas.”
Mr Priaulx said the expertise Mr Lyons was offering was exactly what was needed.
“With his help we can educate people about the importance of believing in their children’s ability to become whatever they want to be; and the best way to do that is by going to school every day on time,” he said.
“We need our children to become adults who can support themselves and their families while doing jobs they love.
“Having a solid education will allow them to do that.”
Mr Priaulx said positive changes to society had been largely managed through the use of media and the type of campaign Mr Lyons had offered to create.
“Our thoughts on women’s rights, land rights, gay rights, smoking, drink driving, the environment and keeping Australia beautiful have all changed drastically over the decades with the help of campaigns such as the one Mr Lyons is suggesting,” he said.
“We need people to realise school is not just about the lessons you learn in class. It’s about receiving structure, discipline and getting on with all types of people in a socially acceptable manner.
“That’s what school brings.
“It is deadly cool to stay in school and we need every child, to make every day count towards their happier future.”
[Photos: Marcus Priaulx]
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An example of John Lyon’s work:
AFL OUTBACK from John Lyons on Vimeo.
