Year 10 Retreat

The Retreat was a wonderful opportunity for the students to put themselves in the shoes of those whose lives look very different to the lifestyle we have in Ballarat.

As part of the Big City Search, students were set tasks that took them on a journey around the Melbourne city centre to experience firsthand how difficult it can be to access services and supports if you are homeless, disabled or unemployed.

The Youth Mission Team challenged students through games, role play and prayer, to realise the need to respond to injustice by appreciating the dignity and uniqueness of every human person regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or social status.

Our call to social justice is not just about feeding the hungry in far off places, it starts with respect for those around us and firstly, respect for ourselves.

Juliet Talarico, a botantist by profession, joined the students to bring the serious nature of climate change to our attention. Juliet set the scene for students to come to an understanding of the effects of climate change through scenarios and role play.

Each student had a role to play in a game. Students were put into teams and each team had a family profile, a location in a developing country and an industry requiring the production of an item to generate finance for the family. The scenario required the teams to create products and sell them at market. It was interesting to see learning happening and the competitive nature of the groups as circumstances in the game changed. The teams had to work differently to create a profitable industry in the face of natural disasters and global financial constraints.