Celebrating The Success Of Our Partners

Achieving outcomes for all our kids relies on strong partnerships, willingness to collaborate.  This is not just the work of Lighthouse. The collective impact approach of the Lighthouse movement means that every project being driven by our partners is moving us closer to achieving our goal of offering all young people the chance to realise their full potential and thrive.

Here we celebrate:  

Mooroopna Park Primary School  

The school of 145 students represent one of the most underprivileged schools in Victoria.  Over 50% of our families are single parents who struggle financially. Many students arrive at school without any food and often without having had any breakfast which impacts on many learning outcomes and the wellbeing of the students.  The school leadership team took an innovative approach to improve student attendance and nutrition and developed an initiative to build a food cafeteria, offering breakfast, two snacks and lunch to all students.       Initial outcomes are showing easier morning routines for families, an enthusiasm to come to school, improvement in concentration in class and a dramatic decrease in behavioural issues that need to be dealt with by the principal and staff.   Lighthouse partnered with the school community to attract funding to resource the cafeteria, connect the school with the business community to receive food and financial donations and build connections with volunteers to support the students at the school with programs related to food.

Gowrie Street Primary School

Supporting 265 student population represented by 20% indigenous and 19% who have English as an Additional language; where 88% of families are on a health care card; Gowrie Street PS leadership.   At Gowrie St, our students have a range of wonderful dreams and hopes for the future. What they don’t always have is a full sense of the possibilities available to them or an understanding of the pathways that will get them there. Some are from families that feel the same challenges and are not in a position to role model and support this.    Our vision is for our students and community to take strength from who they are (their diversity, histories & cultures) and to be empowered to seize life's opportunities and overcome its challenges. We work with all students to identify their hopes for the future and their strengths. They use these to set really clear goals for the school year. All of this is recorded in their Hopes & Dreams plans.

Lighthouse is excited about Gowrie Street’s asset-based approach and supports the school by connecting each class teacher with relevant businesses to showcase people and their career pathway, opportunity to understand the regional economy and the businesses who operate in Greater Shepparton.

Community Hubs Australia  

Establishing Community Hubs has been a driver from the initial 1000 Conversations initiative.  Hubs have been established in three schools to build social cohesion. They are welcoming places where migrant and refugee families, particularly mothers with young children come to connect, share and learn.   Hubs bridge the gaps between migrants and the wider community,  Engage families in culturally diverse communities,  Connect preschool children into playgroup and prepare them for school, Help women and children learn and practice English and Build pathways to volunteering and employment.  It was a natural fit for Lighthouse to become the  support agency to the local Community Hubs in Shepparton. Lighthouse is deeply connected in the community and business sector and can provide easy links to support the outcomes for migrant women and their children.   Addressing the many issues specific for migrant and refugee children to be healthy and ready for school starts at conception and the more we can support every cohort of our community the better.