Reconnecting Youth

Last Updated on Thursday, 28 May 2009 15:33

Located at:
Cnr. Strada Crescent and Academy Avenue, Wheelers Hill VIC 3150
Telephone: (03) 9562 1669
Fax: (03) 9562 1670

Student Development Centres - Secondary are Department of Education and Early Childhood Development facilities in Eastern Metropolitan Region which provide a specialised program for students at risk of not successfully completing their secondary education.

Reconnecting Youth is a one term educational program which encourages 12 to 16 year old students develop a sense of personal worth and independence.  The program fosters the ability for students to pursue a socially productive and personally fulfilling lifestyle so they are able to integrate back into their mainstream secondary school.

The curriculum at Reconnecting Youth focuses on literacy and numeracy, integrated extensively through information technology.   The program caters for a wide range of interests including art, music, sport, woodwork, hospitality. A strong feature of the Reconnecting Youth program is integrated wilderness, involving challenging wilderness activities such as abseiling, caving, peak ascent, bush walking, indoor and outdoor rock climbing, flat and white water rafting, a challenge course in high and low ropes and completing either three or four day bushwalks or white water rafting camps.   Students are often placed outside their comfort zones in these activities and learn a great deal about themselves, as well as how to apply this learning to their classroom behaviour. Throughout the program, students engage in personal behaviour management strategies such as conflict resolution, anger management, peer mediation and problem solving.

Reconnecting Youth also provides a strong pastoral care program designed to provide the necessary wellbeing and disciplinary support that enables students to successfully manage their own behaviour in order to succeed.