By Casey Neill
A Noble Park art program is building passion and resilience in disadvantaged kids.
The Future Foundations Art Program in December received $23,000 from the State Government’s $1.6 million Mentoring Grants Program.
The art-based mentoring program targets struggling students and last year worked with seven 11-year-olds from Noble Park and Dandenong West primary schools.
Creative mentors helped them to realise their creative visions and their work was displayed at Federation Square in November.
Noble Park Primary School principal David Rothstadt sits on the board of the registered charity.
“The children who are engaged in the program, they’ve built really good social skills and some friendships with children from other schools as well as their own schools, working in an art environment,” he said.
“Students commented that it had taught them persistence.
“They develop that resilience, which the kids have actually articulated, that helps them in the other aspects of their lives.
“Some of our children who’ve gone through the program … two of them said it was one of the best things they did at school and would be their fondest memory,” he said.
“A couple commented it opened up the arts as a serious vocation.”
Mr Rothstadt said one boy who exposed to photography was now in Year 9 now and taking photos for his school magazine.
“He’s learnt that skill and that passion through that program,” he said.
“It’s had huge impacts for kids on a range of levels.”
He said the children devoted 14 Saturdays in a row to the project from June to October, as did the volunteers who guided them.
“Kids have the opportunity to work with people who are professional, semi-professional or study art,” he said.
Mr Rothstadt said seven mentors took part last year and Future Foundations was looking for more this time around.
He said mentors also learnt a lot from taking part, including teaching skills, and said several were returning for the second and third time.
“That tells you how much they get out of it and how much joy they get,” he said.
“We’re hoping to grow the program this year.
“We’ve had three or four schools involved in past years at Noble Park.
“We’re hoping we can set up a second program in the St Kilda area.
“We’ve already got expressions of interest from schools there.
“We’re very ambitious.
“It’s just such a good model.”
Anyone who is interested in becoming a mentor can contact Mr Rothstadt on 9546 8811 for more information.
