For a quarter of a century a program has been helping students in Echuca Moama gain confidence, experience and guidance for their future careers.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
The Echuca-Moama Beacon Foundation is a not-for-profit licensee of the National Beacon Foundation, operating on the philosophy that the whole community should unite to assist young people and help build a bright future for them.
It runs the Real Futures program in partnership with the Campaspe Cohuna Local Learning and Employment Network for Year 9 students from Echuca College, Moama Anglican Grammar, Australian Christian College and Echuca Twin Rivers Specialist School, and Years 9 and 10 students from St Joseph’s College.
Based on the No Dole program pioneered in Tasmania, Real Futures utilises the expertise and commitment of local groups and organisations to supplement classroom learning with real-world experience, training and events that help prepare students for their lives after school.
A lot has changed since the program’s introduction, and EM Beacon treasurer Mark Thomson has seen it all.
“I’ve been here since day one,” Mr Thompson said.
“It doesn’t feel like 25 years.
“It’s a great thing to do, what we’re running.
“I know myself and Sue (Turner) went to the old high school as students, so it’s nice to be able to give back.”
Ms Turner, who is now the chair of EM Beacon’s board, said one of her proudest achievements was seeing more and more students get involved.
“We started off with one or two schools,” she said.
“Now we’ve got all the schools in Echuca Moama.”
The board is the only committee to involve all five schools, something Echuca College principal Jessica Sargeant said demonstrated the shared belief in the importance of Real Futures.
“I think it’s really important to give regional youth the same opportunities that their counterparts in the city can access quite easily,” Ms Sargeant said.
“Better futures is what it’s all about.
“I’m not from this area, I’ve been here five years, and what I’ve seen and been involved in with Beacon since I got here, it’s just really great in this community.
“I haven’t seen something like this elsewhere.”
Similar sentiments about the value of the program were echoed by Echuca Twin Rivers Specialist School principal Paul Marshall.
“For our students with disability, the benefits of Beacon extend far beyond exploring career pathways,” Mr Marshall said.
“The program provides authentic opportunities to connect with students from mainstream schools, working together on shared activities where everyone is valued for their unique strengths and perspectives.
“These experiences foster genuine friendships, promote understanding and demonstrate that inclusion and respect are achieved through meaningful participation.
“Our students return to school with greater confidence, knowing they have been recognised as capable contributors alongside their peers.”
As the number of participants in the EM program grew, so did its reputation, with the first Beacon organisation in mainland Australia serving as a model for other programs across the country.
It wasn’t just schools that were impressed, with businesses often reaching out to EM Beacon project manager Cath Elms, asking how they could get involved.
“We have such good community support,” Ms Elms said.
“The reputation (of EM Beacon) is embedded now.
“It’s pretty easy to get industry on board.
“They understand that they have to play a part in that education piece (and) in getting the students from school into the workforce.
“That’s that community spirit.”
One group that has played a crucial role in the Real Futures program in addition to the board, CCLLEN, the schools and local businesses, are the student ambassadors.
Through a rigorous selection process, student ambassadors are selected from each school, completing additional leadership training and meeting with EM Beacon’s board to help shape the program’s sessions.
St Joseph’s College leadership team member Adam Prime said the leadership program provided training that was almost second to none.
“Every year we get signifiant feedback from all our students saying that they’ve grown in confidence,” Mr Prime said.
“They’ve grown in their understanding of what it means to lead from actually doing it experientially.”
Past student leaders have had great success following the program, winning scholarships, returning to speak at Real Future events after establishing themselves in their careers, and in some cases, even serving on the EM Beacon board.
Australian Christian College principal Kevin Sourgen said the program’s impact had gone far beyond just Year 9.
“I’ve seen how Beacon has become embedded in the culture of our students,” Mr Sourgen said.
“Their enjoyment, especially with REDI interviews and things like that, and the student desire to become a Beacon leader.
“That leadership growth at the student level has been very beneficial from a school’s perspective.”
For the Beacon board, the mission for the next 25 years is simple: keep doing what they’re doing.
Ms Turner said the key to making that happen was to continue to provide something students would find useful.
“I think we do quite well looking outside the box and coming up with new ways to do things,” she said.
“We’re always looking for new ways to be creative and be engaging, and that’s really important.
“We need to change with the times and engage with the students because if they’re not engaging, we’ve got nothing.”