Engaging the disengaged in Colac

The Salvos Colac Community Centre’s ‘The Drop-In’ has emerged as a lifeline of connection and purpose for disengaged youth (photo courtesy of Olia Danilevich pexels.com).

BY LERISSE SMITH

What began as a modest social program at Colac Corps has evolved into one of the most dynamic and transformative forces for youth in the township.

‘The Drop-In’ at the Salvos Community Centre in regional Victoria has grown into something far bigger than anyone expected, integrating into the curriculum of two local schools and emerging as a lifeline of connection and purpose for disengaged youth – and its impact is spreading fast.

“It has been phenomenal,” said Josiah Van Niekerk, Colac Corps Leader. 

“The Drop-In has created flexible learning spaces. We are just trying to engage the disengaged through creating relational and community connections. The Drop-In’s motto is ‘a space for youth, shaped by youth’, and being part of the school curriculum is great. The school engagement has been massive, just phenomenal, and another four started last month.”

Colac Corps Leader Josiah Van Niekerk.

At the heart of it lies a deep and growing need for flexibility, belonging and alternative ways of learning for young people who do not thrive in traditional school environments. 

Now integrated into the curriculum of the Saints College Colac, The Drop-In gives students the chance to reconnect – with each other, with caring adults and with a renewed sense of purpose.

And the numbers speak volumes.

The program is embedded in two schools – Saints College Colac, involving 35 students, and Colac Secondary College, with 50 students. Other schools that have come on board include Beeac Primary School, South West Primary School, Greater Otway Applied Learning School (GOALS) and Trinity College Colac. They are all connected via the Colac Salvos’ Engage Program, with The Drop-In part of the program.

But it is not just about academics or compulsory attendance.

Around 100 young people pass through the Salvos centre each week, engaging in a mix of activities that tick off educational and personal growth. Some play the piano while others sketch and paint art that will hang on the centre walls.

Students also assist with TentCare or domestic tasks such as vacuuming the floor. For others, just watching a movie or lounging is the order of the day.

Above and below: These local Colac students take part in civil engagement duties including helping in the kitchen and creating artworks. 

“They are disengaged in the way that they are lucky enough they turn up to school,” Josiah reflected.

“So, we have been able to see some really good growth with The Drop-In. The young people have wanted to be here. That’s been really good.”

More than attendance, The Drop-In is about transformation. 

Students are learning life skills including responsibility, teamwork and how to give back to their local community through the Salvos Colac Community Centre – and the reach is already expanding.

While the students involved are predominantly secondary-school aged, Josiah added that plans were in place to start its first primary school next term, with 13 students coming on a Wednesday across term three to serve, connect and socialise.

With momentum building, the next steps are already taking shape. 

The Salvos team is applying for a grant to bring someone on board to lead the program. The hope is to eventually have 200 to 300 students cycling through the community centre every year, ensuring the Salvos is not just a place to go, but a place to grow and a launchpad for potential.

The growth will unlock even more opportunities. If successful with the grant, the Salvos would have the means to cater for a greater number of students once the other four schools are on board.

The students would do the social side with The Drop-in or service across the Salvos’ other school engagement initiatives, including Otway Wardrobe, Otway TentCare, making meals for the community and working in its community garden. The corps also has musical lessons and woodwork classes launching soon.

“It would be just phenomenal for the community and phenomenal for the centre,” Josiah remarked if the funding comes to fruition.

But even without the funding, the mission is full steam ahead. A major fundraiser is set for October, aiming to support holiday programs in a region that currently has none. The programs and fundraisers help to fund and sustain all school engagement activities. The school holiday programs are aimed at pre-school and primary school students.

And the vision doesn’t stop there.

The plans are ambitious: a partnership with the local radio station, the Red Door Theatre, the local leisure centre, and the local sports stadium that includes three basketball courts and an oval. The local secondary college has offered its oval for the fun day out, too. Feature attractions will range from fairy floss and face painting to the CFA on site, and a Cousin Koala appearance thanks to the Salvos kids’ ministry team.

With the community rallying behind them, the future is bright. And with the talk of a three-day festival next year, Josiah and his Salvos team are excited and energised about what lies ahead.

“It has been this amazing thing,” Josiah reflected. “When we take that first step and really open up into a current need for our community, how much that door just swings wide open once we step into it.”