Service to the Community Award for Callum Kennedy (Year 8) Community

The Community Project is a significant student-directed collaborative inquiry held over an extended 6-month period and an exciting opportunity for Year 8 students to apply their learning to real-world issues. It provides an excellent opportunity for students to produce a truly personal and creative work of their choice and to develop an awareness of others’ needs and serve others in an area of their choice. It is the consolidation of the skills they have developed through approaches to learning and demonstrates service as action as a result of the project. Through project, students identify, plan, and execute a service-oriented initiative that addresses a community need emphasizing the development of skills such as research, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking.

The 2023 Community Project Award went to Callum Kennedy for his dedication to the citizen of Lancelin. Callum used his artistic talents to help introduce five protective behaviours through the Djinda Indigenous symbol which he painted across the school helping students understand these key messages. He also donated sporting equipment and reading material from the Scotch College Junior School Library and participated in the monster fete.

Callum also became an active member of the Save the Dunes campaign to stop mining of the iconic Lancelin Dunes. With well over 100 hours of service dedicated to the Lancelin community, he was presented with a Service to the Community Award by The Lions Club of Lancelin and Districts. A high accolade for a young man.

Congratulations on your remarkable achievements Callum. Can you tell us how you became involved with the Lancelin community?

I became involved with the Lancelin community because my family have had a holiday house there that I have visited regularly for the past 8 years. Lancelin is a unique town, and its community means a lot to me. I wanted my project to be related to my personal life, so I chose Lancelin for my project.

These projects were obviously close to your heart. What inspired you? Sand mining is a huge threat to Lancelin since the whole town, including Lancelin Primary School, depends on tourism for its survival. Creating artwork is a big hobby of mine so I chose to paint murals for Lancelin Primary School, the central toilet block in town, and to protest against the mining of the Lancelin sand dunes. The classroom mural motivates the students to engage in the schools positive expected behaviours programme through the school’s starfish mascot, Djinda.

How did you manage the different initiatives you undertook? It must have taken a lot of coordination and good time management.

I organised my project very early, starting by donating sports balls to Lancelin Primary School during the October school holidays in Year 7. I had meetings with the school principal at the start of the summer school holidays and completed the school’s mural in February 2023. During first term of Year 8, I painted the Lancelin toilet block and decorated mugs with digital artwork of Djinda. I completed most of my project by the July school holidays after supporting the Save the Dunes campaign in a protest and donating old library books from Scotch College to Lancelin Primary School.

What obstacles did you have to overcome to get the job done?

I had a hard time finding the right paint colours and making all the copies of Djinda the right shape and size. Instead of buying tons of blue paint, I used paint samples from

Bunnings and I painted on some cardboard for practice. I then made three separate stencils out of cardboard and paper for the outline of the starfish shape, Djinda’s face and then the Indigenous symbols on the arms. I made these the right size and shape by measuring the panels of the classroom wall I chose to paint and I sketched where the paint would go with pencil before cutting out the final stencils. I also had to check the weather forecast to make sure it wasn’t going to rain during the painting process, but this wasn’t a problem since it never rained.

Is there a particular memory that will stay with you?

A couple of my best memories from the project were meeting Mrs Temby, Principal of Lancelin Primary School, for the first time, and standing on top of the Lancelin sand dunes with the community in the protest against the mining.

You have given a lot to the community. What do you think this experience has given you?

I have learnt to work with others in a community and protest for a good cause and how one problem can affect a whole community while bringing people together simultaneously.

What would you say to other students who are about to embark on their CP?

My advice: start the communication process early. Think about what skills you have that could assist the organisation you’re interested in. Complete as many service hours as you can during boarders’ long weekends and school holidays because they can go a long way in helping your organisation. Have group meetings weekly to write up the Community Project Journal as you complete sections. Don’t forget to take pictures and schedule meetings with your mentor to make sure you are on track.