Flexible learning for young parents
Participants in a Horsham College Young Parents program will use a new vegetable garden to help teach their children a range of life skills.
Jemma Elliott said the garden was part of the personal development skills section of her VCAL – Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning – curriculum.
“I had to do a community-based project, so we all brainstormed and I finally decided to do a vegie garden,” she said.
“At first I was just going to source funding from Bunnings and they ended up donating seedlings, gardening tools, gloves and so on.
“We have a partnership with Uniting Wimmera to provide free on-site day care. They donated two garden planters for the project. And when the garden planters were dropped off they also donated a baby swing.”
Jemma said Wimmera Aquatrail donated soil to complete the project.
“They’re all pick and eat vegies, such as carrots and celery and peas,” she said.
“The veggie patch will help the kids with healthy eating and learning how things grow.
“We’ll be able to take the kids out to the garden and say, ‘wow, I grew that’. It will teach the kids about colours, but also about shapes, responsibilities – because they will have to come out here and we’ll help them water.”
Jemma said she loved being part of the Young Parents program.
“We have three mums and four children who regularly come to our classes, which are on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 1pm to 3.30pm,” she said.
The Young Parents program provides flexible learning options for students who have difficulty committing to full-time education due to pregnancy or parenting duties.
The participants complete a dedicated VCAL curriculum, which includes literacy, numeracy, personal-development skills and work-related skills.
“It’s a bit hard to go to school when you’ve had a baby and so the program provides the education we deserve and to make a future for the kids,” Jemma said.
“The teachers and the support group are just brilliant.
“They help you go to uni, TAFE, get you into courses or help you find work.
“It’s so flexible. The day care is provided next door to our classroom, which is just great.
“As well as doing classwork it’s a good opportunity to chat – to be able to speak with people who know what you’re going through.”