Central to the Buran Nalgarra senior school program, is the learning students undertake as action researchers in our local community around problems that matter in a local-global futures context.
Here are the exciting community engagement projects we undertook in 2024:
Listen and Learn
We interviewed 6 influential elders and changemakers in the community to get their perspective on some key issues and concerns in our community. The common themes that emerged from these conversations:
The following projects are an implementation of our some of our ideas in response to these conversations.
Katoomba Cafés Send Plastic Packing Campaign
Did you see our stall at the Sustainability Festival? We launched our crowdfunding campaign and have since taken this to social media, as a last hurrah to raise funds to convert 8 Katoomba cafes to a bulk-milk system that uses 80% less plastic than 2L milk cartons. We have carried over this project from 2023, when we set out to disrupt the ‘unavoidable’ consumption of single-use plastic through everyday essentials.
This is a highly replicable project that we’d love to see inspire similar action across the country but first we’ve got to get this one up. We’ve raised 75% of our budget through subsidies and sponsorship. in October, through crowdfunding, we hope to bring this project to reality. With this in place, just 8 cafés stand to save 6.3 TONNES of plastic waste over 5 years!
Will you help Katoomba cafés send plastic packing!?
https://chuffed.org/project/113976-katoomba-cafes-send-plastic-packing
SEEN – A Portrait Photography Exhibition by Young People –
Affirming Identity and Breaking Down Stereotypes
Is there anything more significant for a young person than to be SEEN, really seen? Kindlehill’s Year 11 Buran Nalgarra students feel this strongly and are inviting young people across the Blue Mountains to share how they want to be SEEN in a portrait photography exhibition at Gallery ONE88 on Katoomba St.
The exhibition’s theme is breaking down stereotypes and affirming identity. We want to build community around our youth and invite them to share with us how they want to be seen. The message of this exhibition is, You belong. We celebrate you and we have your backs. This is your place and your community, where each one of you can flourish.
It was important to the students that the exhibition was held in an established local gallery. Rose, says “We want to see our own art on the walls of local galleries and to share images that speak to who we really are.”
The students approached GalleryONE88 about their idea and were thrilled when the answer was a resounding yes. A free workshop at the Gallery on Sunday 15th September, launched the project - young people worked with local artisan photographer, Maja Baska, learning how to design and take an impactful portrait.
To feel to your core, the connectiveness and aliveness of the people and place where we live, puts imagination, innovation and practical application at the heart of this senior school education. We are very proud of what we have achieved in our first year of offering Senior School. We are learning, collaborating, contributing in very real world and relevant settings.
For more information about the SEEN Portrait Photography Exhibition which is open to all high school students in the Blue Mountains, please contact community@kindlehill.nsw.ed.au
All submitted works that meet the guidelines will be exhibited at GalleryONE88. Deadline for submission, October 20th. Exhibition opens, Thursday October 31st.
