Students get creative to create a better future

The Rotary Club of Altona City, Vic, is strongly committed to developing young people. Their annual interactive programs such as Mock Job Interviews, the Wynspeak public speaking competition, and the Hobsons Bay Millennium Time Capsule Project give students a powerful voice. In 2024, the club teamed up with Swinburne University’s School of Design and Architecture and created a unique poster competition for secondary school students.

The inaugural poster competition, titled ‘Creating a Better Future’, gave students the opportunity to showcase their creativity while delving into topics that are meaningful to them. Working closely with VET (Vocational Education and Training) Screen and Media teacher, Ana Tuckerman, at Bayside College, Altona, they ensured the project tied in with the requirements of the design curriculum.

“It was easy for me to adapt my program to the Rotary brief because it was so broad,” Ana said.

“Because we’re by the sea in Altona, we focused on ocean conservation. Students worked just as they would in the design industry, workshopping their key statements and calls to action in small teams, which satisfies the vocational element of the VET course. Students loved the experience.”

Department Chair of Communications Design within Swinburne’s School of Design and Architecture, Dr Andrew Haig, advised Rotary about the judging categories, which included creativity, design elements, and the key aspects of messaging. He was also on the judging panel.

“It was refreshing to see the students engaging with issues they face with such energy. It was also pleasing to see the diversity of approaches, from the colourful to the mysterious, with effective messaging,” Andrew said.

Entries were judged blind by a panel of Rotarians and design industry academics. Winners received gift certificates and the top three students were invited to attend the opening of GradX 2024, Swinburne University’s School of Design and Architecture Graduate Exhibition.

This pilot program offers a promising pathway for scaling up to involve multiple clubs across the zone. The Rotary Club of Altona City is keen to have all Bayside schools participating next year. Ana encourages more teachers to take it up.

“The topic is so comprehensive there’s room to explore many areas including mental health, climate change, and recognition of First Nations peoples.”