Dream Seeds workshops develop aspiration, resilience, and connection in Year 6 students from rural schools. Students learn to articulate personal values and goals, which helps them identify practical pathways toward positive futures. Youthrive Victoria’s Alumni designed the program and host the workshops. Our Alumni themselves have grown up in rural Victoria and are now undertaking further study or employment. Through this voluntary work, the facilitators extend their skills, expertise, and networks.

We are fortunate to have two talented Dream Seeds® Coordinators this year: Stacey Barbagallo, from Cohuna who is studying secondary Maths/Science at Monash University and Naomi Gerrard from Beaufort who is studying Primary Teaching at Australian Catholic University, Ballarat. They have conducted training for a new group of presenters from rural communities.

Community Bank Creswick & District have generously funded a series of Dream Seeds® workshops for primary schools in the Creswick district. Three workshops have been delivered to date to 45 year 6 students from St Augustine’s, Mount Blowhard, and Creswick North primary schools. Facilitator, Naomi Gerrard said, ‘After presenting the program in three different schools so far, it has been great to see the engagement of students and their confidence grow throughout the session. I have loved working with a variety of presenters and watching everyone’s approach to presenting while learning from each other’.  And from the participants: ‘I didn’t like it, I loved it!’ ‘Everyone got together and shared ideas.’ ‘I liked that it gives us ambitions. ‘It was very positive.’

Thank you to the Community Bank Creswick & District for enabling us to provide Dream Seeds® programs to the local community!