MM and The Y: Helping empower disengaged young people
A new era of education has dawned: The Y Whittlesea has recently opened its doors to the first vocational school of its kind in Epping, Victoria. We’re so proud to have been a part of this project, offering a brighter future to disengaged young people through this alternative education pathway.
The Y (previously known as the YMCA) Community School is an example of the empowerment that alternative education can provide. This innovative school is designed to cater to young people aged 15 and over who have struggled to engage with mainstream education.
This means that their impact extends beyond the walls of the classrooms; through providing their safe and inclusive learning environment, the school is not only helping students succeed academically but is also equipping them with the tools they need to thrive in the real world.
What’s the need for this in Victoria?
In Victoria alone, there are nearly 12,000 young people who refuse to go to school. It’s a complex problem, with a variety of reasons students may become disengaged. No matter the reason, the reality is that there are limited number of alternatives to mainstream education.
The Y Community School Whittlesea is the first vocational school of its kind in Victoria and is tailored to these young people through customising their learning and ultimately creating opportunities for them to thrive.
This new school follows the proven success of other independent schools by The Y. They’ve seen success with 11 campuses across Queensland and another in Western Australia.
The existing Y Schools in Queensland operates two different kinds of campuses: junior campuses for those in years 7-9 and senior campuses for those in years 10-12. This is something that the Y Community School Whittlesea is looking to implement in the future, expanding their reach for disengaged youth and helping support a wider range of individuals.
How does The Y School help to aid this?
The Y School offers a program that aims to re-engage students who find difficulty in mainstream education pathways.
They do this through providing a supportive and caring environment, personalised curriculums and practical life skills to all students. This helps to reignite young people’s passion for learning, while setting them up for their success both personally and professionally.
Their secondary school is prepared to hold up to 120 students, operating with small class sizes to ensure sufficient attention and personalisation is received to truly empower each student.
The school brings together educators, youth workers and counsellors together to create a safe and positive environment which truly helps empower students to create a better future for themselves.
Further, the school offers foundation and vocational senior secondary certificates to support pathways to future training or employment. This includes vocational training at certificate I, II and III, as well as work experience and employment connections including apprenticeships and traineeships.
Most importantly of all, the school is a partnership, giving the students a voice in shaping their own development.
What was involved?
We are proud at Millar Merrigan to have played a crucial role in bringing this groundbreaking initiative to life in Victoria. Our team played a critical role in problem solving, allowing this project to go ahead.
When the idea for the school was first pitched, they were told it was not feasible in its current location due to multiple factors. However, we were able to come up with a solution-oriented proposal that was able to convince relevant authorities to grant approval on this project.
Our team was then able to obtain all necessary permits to design an appropriate educational space through repurposing an existing community centre gym facility.
Some images of the Y Community Centre gym, before it was converted into the community school
Various images of the Y Community School as it was being constructed, sourced from The Y Whittlesea post
A glimpse into what’s to come
The next part of our work with the Y and their vocational school is a year 7-9 campus and outdoor learning area. We have completed a preliminary design for this and are looking forward to supporting The Y in the coming years as they navigate the process of seeking planning permissions to make their new campus a reality.
The opening of the Y Community School Whittlesea marks the beginning of a new era for disengaged youth in Victoria. As the school expands its offerings and continues to become more established, we look forward to helping them continue to provide hope, opportunity and a pathway to success for our youth.