Proposal: For Glen Waverley Secondary College students to establish a Vision Group within the Glen Waverley community
Vision: “an experience in which a personage, thing, or event appears vividly or credibly to the mind, although not actually present, often under the influence of a divine or other agency: a heavenly messenger appearing in a vision”
What’s a Vision Group?…A Vision Group brings together any number of passionate young people, in any given community environment , to exchange views, passions, interests and thoughts on issues surrounding global poverty. It is a group established and led by a VGen leader in/from a local area, school, church, uni, anywhere… Essentially the VGen leader facilitates discussion. In this group environment, young people can find a space where they can inspire each other, and work together to create action for the world’s poor, whilst using World Vision as a resource for their ideas.
Objectives of a Vision Group in Glen Waverley Secondary College:
• To foster discussion and exploration of global issues between Glen Waverley Secondary College students
• To empower and mobilise Glen Waverley Secondary College students to combat extreme poverty, both in Australia and overseas
• To facilitate future 40 Hour Famine groups
• To provide an opportunity for Glen Waverley Secondary College students to lead others in campaigning against poverty
• To use World Vision resources for advocacy initiatives, such as Make Poverty History and Make Indigenous Poverty History
• To use World Vision education resources for fundraising and awareness
How it could work – strategy for late 2008/2009:
Recruitment & retention:
– Promote the first Vision Group meeting in the school to interested students
– Recruit participants in 40 Hour Famine
– Use Vision Generation state events to motivate and retain Vision Group members
Participation of students:
– Decision-making in the direction of the Vision Group
– Attend VGen meetings and events
– Work with Glen Waverley Secondary College staff, parents and SRC
Leadership of students:
– The Glen Waverley Secondary College Vision Group would be led by Year 11 student Gabriel Wong who would mentor and facilitate students to assume leadership of the group in later years
– Interested students would be offered leadership skills training at World Vision Headquarters in mid-February
– 1-2 students from the group would oversee the 40 Hour Famine
Fundraising:
– Organising fundraisers
– Support Vision Generation state and/or regional fundraising events
Advocacy:
– Consider promoting awareness of the Make Poverty History Campaign to Glen Waverley students, i.e. through Harmony Day, National Youth Week, SRC Assembly, etc
– Support various charities in raising awareness of global issues
– Support Vision Generation state and/or regional advocacy events
Outcomes
– Increased awareness in Glen Waverley Secondary College about poverty alleviation
– Greater opportunities for students to engage with global activism
– Greater empowerment of Glen Waverley Secondary College students
– Greater relationship with Australia’s largest aid agency, World Vision
– Glen Waverley Secondary College leading the call for global justice amongst local secondary schools
– Higher profile for global justice and Glen Waverley Secondary College in the community
GWSC Vision Group 