A colourful mural completed by students from Invergordon Alternate Campus was officially unveiled last week at the DECA Pit Stop site.
Koorie students, Aisha Hopkins, Sienna Ratila and Jar-Keyshia Atkinson completed the work under the guidance of Lighthouse Koorie Art and Culture Facilitator, Lisa Lynch.
The students put their heart and soul into all aspects of completing the wall mural from the planning, creative design phase and execution of the finished masterpiece. Their teacher, Katherine Neall, who transported the students from Invergordon campus weekly to Pit Stop, also got involved.
The work depicts the beautiful red earth and landscape of the Australian outback, also incorporating a vintage car paying tribute to the mechanics-based mentoring program run by the Greater Shepparton Lighthouse Project.
The vast wall mural has a central emphasis on the two students’ self-portraits (Aisha and Sienna), highlighting the importance of connection within our community as key to achieving better outcomes for our young people.
“Our way of working at Lighthouse is to nurture and encourage positive change using a ‘whatever it takes’ approach,” said Lighthouse Coordinator Secondary Education and Innovation, Amy Robinson.
“Better outcomes for young people come about in different ways, whether it be through art or helping young people develop skills that reflect their interests as we do with the Pit Stop program.”
Family/carers and younger siblings attended morning tea celebration where the students received a gift and a certificate of recognition for their leadership and creativity shown in completing the mural.
Pit Stop staff and coordinators as well as DECA and Wodonga Tafe, who own the site, are thrilled with the outcome as the space, that over 60 students and teachers pass through each week, has now transformed into a beautiful and calming place that truly reflects our community.
