Year Nine students from Coomera Anglican College will face the hardships of drought-ridden Western Queensland when they head west to provide community service in rural towns this September. 

 
The initiative, part of the College’s annual Service Week, will see 80 students and 10 staff venturing off to the remote country towns of Charleville and Mitchell from 2 – 6 September, 2019.
 
The group will spend time visiting a number of State and Catholic schools, aged care facilities, The School of Distance Education, conduct musical performances at different venues and host working bees and sporting events.
 
Head of Year Nine and Service Week Coordinator, Sasha Ristic, said the rural CAConnect Project was now in its third year. “For many years, our Year Nine students and staff have serviced the local Gold Coast community with their generosity of service learning. However, two years ago I took the idea of service learning and applied it more remote areas of Queensland – called The CAConnect Project,” said Mr Ristic.

"The challenge is how we can ensure that service learning deeply touches the participant in a way that changes their world view, value system and creates an agency within them to act as ‘agents of change’ within our world.”

During their time out west, the cohort will be visiting two very small schools with a total population of about 12 students in each – Mungallala and Morven – which will be an eye-opening experience for the College students. They will be donating books and other resources, as well as learning about the affects of the drought through work with animals and wildlife.
 
“This is an incredible opportunity for our Year Nine students, who will be working together with the locals, connecting and building relationships with the students from rural schools and other members of the community alike,” said Mr Ristic.
 
Locally, a group will also provide community service on the Gold Coast throughout Service Week 2019. Students will be involved in a number of different activities at the ARCARE aged care centre, Lifeline, Mudgeeraba Special School, Anglican Church, local gardening initiatives, ART projects and lots more.
 
“Coomera Anglican College students and teachers will be assisting local organisations with their enthusiasm and selflessness – encouraging a sense of unity, change and community.”