School Focused Youth Service - Case Study
Loddon Mallee Cybersafety Project
The School Focused Youth Service (SFYS) is funded by the Department to strengthen the support for 10-18 year old children and young people by facilitating partnerships and the coordination of services between schools and community service organisations at a local level. There are 41 SFYS coordinators employed across Victoria to work with Government, Catholic and Independent schools in their local areas. Applications for brokerage can be submitted to coordinators, and a large number of innovative projects have been funded in this way.
One such project is the Loddon Mallee Cybersafety Project: Developing Ethical Cyber Citizens.
In 2007, a SFYS brokerage application was made by several schools in response to a number of incidents in Echuca. A project group was established, and a community meeting was held to discuss the issue of cybersafety. Representatives from the Department’s SFYS, Student Wellbeing and Student Support Services, the Catholic Education Office (CEO), Telstra Countywide, the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, Victoria Police and local business attended the meeting as did parents and students. Internet safety educator Robyn Treyvaud was engaged to facilitate workshops for schools and community in the area. This approach was so successful that it was replicated across the region.
In 2008, Lee Baxter (DEECD Student Wellbeing Officer, Loddon Mallee) and Gavan Thomson (SFYS Coordinator, Kyneton) successfully applied for a Telstra Foundation Community Development Fund grant to fund a cybersafety project across the Loddon Mallee Region. They received $270,000 and the three year project commenced that year. It was auspiced by Centacare, with a regional management committee consisting of representatives from the SFYS, La Trobe University, Telstra Countrywide, Victoria Police, DEECD Wellbeing, CEO Wellbeing, local schools as well as a local IT business consultant.
The project has a number of components including professional development for teachers, student forums and training of student ambassadors, community briefings, and research involving students, parents and teachers conducted the Centre for Adolescent Health. It also involves the creation of resources including a critical incident procedure and policies, and a DVD entitled “Photograph” which outlines the ramifications of ‘sexting’. There has been interest in the DVD from schools across Australia and as well as organisations in the United States of America.
To purchase the “Photograph” DVD for $66 see The Education Shop
Further information
For further information about the Loddon Mallee Cybersafety Project contact Lee Baxter on 5440 3121.
For further information about the School Focused Youth Service contact Samantha Thompson on 9651 3564.