Photo Gallery| Medley Mag Mullauna College Issue |
| Written by Georgina Dimopoulos | |
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Access of young migrants and refugees to information technology is often limited by their financial means, disrupted education, and computer literacy levels. The Medley Mag “All Wired Up!” program sought to address local issues of potential social disconnection, by providing a diverse mechanism for young people to connect and communicate with their peers, to acquire valuable computer and media skills, and to become volunteers with Medley Mag. The program would not have been possible without the financial support of the Victorian Department of Planning and Community Development, through the ‘Women Creating Harmony” Grants Program, and “Victorian Volunteer Small Grants” Program. The participating students, whose work is featured in this edition, are Year 9 English as Second Language (ESL) students from Mulluana Secondary College in Mitcham, Victoria. These students reside in the Eastern Region of Melbourne, which contains a culturally and linguistically diverse community, with increasing numbers of refugees settling in the region, especially from the Horn of Africa. The success of the program is largely due to the commitment of the volunteers, and the eagerness of the students to learn essential computer skills and training, which are vital for communication and education in today’s ‘information age’. The volunteers - Lauren Baird, Melissa Ng, Karmen Ou and James Pappas and Kelvin Tay – displayed remarkable dedication to the program, travelling considerable distances each week to attend the sessions, and preparing educational modules for the sessions they were responsible for. The weekly modules have given the students an insight into all aspects of the process of developing an online magazine, presenting them with the added opportunity of permanently joining the Medley Mag team. The program has also helped the students to enhance their written and oral English communication skills, and their confidence – thereby achieving two of Medley Mag’s key aims. All of these skills have been combined to produce the wonderful pieces in this Issue – from news stories about the Mullauna College Multicultural Concert and an excursion to Sydney Road, to opinion pieces about a range of issues concerning today’s youth, including homework and global warming. Learn about the experience of these young people as they have migrated from Sudan, Vietnam, Liberia, the Philippines and Iran to Australia. Enjoy reviews of movies, CDs and books, and browse the photos and a video of the program. But the tangible outcomes of the program extend well beyond the magazine edition produced and published. The young people who have participated – both as students and as volunteers – have formed lasting connections and friendships, sharing their experiences with their peers, and celebrating their own culture whilst simultaneously learning about others. The “All Wired Up” Program has enhanced the opportunity for young people in Melbourne’s Eastern region to make a constructive and substantial contribution to their community. It is a project which embodies the admirable endeavour of cross-cultural harmony, and demonstrates what a community of young people from a number of different ethnic groups, working together with enthusiasm and commitment, can achieve. Georgina Dimopoulos Editor-in-Chief |
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 11 December 2007 ) |
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