District Leadership Groups in action

Keeping Kids Engaged in School, delivered with the support of Lotterywest is the flagship program for the South West Metropolitan DLG Imagined Futures Youth Initiative Working Group. It is an early intervention approach designed to encourage children and young people’s desire to stay at school, foster their sense of belonging, build resilience, and support their transition to, and engagement with, high school.

The project encompasses three parts:

Years 4-6 Mentoring and Resilience/Leadership Program

• A year-long resilience and leadership program delivered in primary schools targeting students from Years 4 to 6. Providing mentoring and transition support to Year 4 to 6 students in feeder primary schools.

Resilience Program

• A term-long leadership and resilience program delivered in secondary schools, run for separate groups in terms one and two for students from Years 7 to 9
• A leadership and mentoring program called Change Champions delivered in secondary schools in Terms 3 and 4 to students from Years 7 to 9

Keeping Kids Engaged in School Program 2020-21 Impact

More than 280 students participated in the program across three primary schools and three high schools.

Participants demonstrated improvements in:

• Wellbeing and self-esteem
• Behaviour
• Sense of belonging and social connectedness
• Leadership skills
• Engagement with education.

Schools reported that the program acted as a basis for culture change across the cohort:

• A sustainable path for the model has been identified with Palmerston committing funding to future delivery of program
• The program model has been documented and an information pack for schools developed
• A research project received ethics approval and data collection has been undertaken.

The group also seized opportunities to fill gaps identified at working group meetings including:

• Instigated and supported the development of the Neami National funded Helping a Friend online resource to assist youth if a friend disclosed thoughts of suicide to them online
• Trialled a program to support Year 9 youth at Fremantle College facilitated by Uniting WA with assistance from City of Fremantle.

University of Notre Dame research findings case study

Nurturing the capacity of young people is arguably the most powerful opportunity available to stem the rising tide of disadvantage we are seeing in our communities.

The Imagined Futures partnership devised the early intervention program for students spanning the transition from primary school to high school. Keeping Kids Engaged in School has brought together schools, other government agencies and local not-for-profits to deliver a strengths-based program – the content of which is driven by the students themselves.

During 2021, Imagined Futures partnered with the University of Notre Dame to undertake an evaluation of the Keeping Kids Engaged Program by capturing the views of teachers, parents and most importantly, honouring the student voice for whom the program was devised.

The research found that the success of the program is evident – especially the key feature of the program not being a ‘one-size fits all’ approach. Instead, the program is able to evolve organically to service the needs of the particular students in each school. The students could clearly identify with the program and were proud to be involved.

Acknowledging and empowering the voices of those to whom the program is targeted is perhaps the most salient way of determining program outcomes. Together the students, parents and school personnel have provided strong endorsement for the continuation of the program in their school.

The Living Well in the Wheatbelt strategy is a collaborative initiative to deliver sustainable, culturally informed solutions to improve outcomes for residents at every stage of life.

It is the first unified, long-term strategy by human services organisations across the region and reflects a commitment to shared responsibility and collective action for the wellbeing of all community members.

Although the Wheatbelt region has great potential, shaped by its Aboriginal and multicultural heritage, natural assets and strong economy, challenges such as irregular school attendance, rising rates of chronic health conditions, mental health issues, homelessness and social isolation contribute to community disadvantage and vulnerability.

By coordinating resources and efforts, the Wheatbelt DLG has identified shared priorities for preventative, positive action, with a commitment to measuring progress and focus on the four National Closing the Gap priority reforms.

Working with local communities, Elders, human services agencies and economic partners are shaping the future wellbeing, health, social and economic development of the Wheatbelt.

Download the Living Well in the Wheatbelt strategy to learn more: