Over the course of the year, we will aim to share some of the important work we are doing around the LORDS Strategic Direction 2020-2023. Each term we will focus on a different element of this plan and give real examples of the work being done to move these priorities forward. We hope this provides you with a deeper understanding of the vision we have for our LORDS community and the work going on to make this a reality!
Our first priority focuses around the concept of social innovation. But what does the term ‘social innovation’ actually mean? Social innovation centres around the idea of coming up with new solutions that meet a social or environmental need. Stanford University defines it as solving the World’s Toughest Problems! An example of social innovation that may be familiar to you include the work of OzHarvest.
OzHarvest aims to fight issues surrounding food waste. They rescue and redistribute food to those who need it most, especially during times of increased need.
At LORDS we connect with a number of social innovators so that our young people can be inspired by the incredible work they do. They engage in collaborative projects which allow them to identify and solve real problems within the community. These projects provide opportunities for our young people to develop skills, capabilities, and mindsets that will help equip them for the future of work more effectively. The New Work Mindset report (FYA, 2015) highlighted the urgent need for an investment in enterprise skills through engaging students, schools, industry, and parents in co-designing opportunities in and outside the classroom. We aim to do this through these projects.
We understand the importance of developing these connections and skills early in primary school and building on these throughout students’ high school years. At LORDS our students are fortunate enough to have opportunities to engage in both service learning and project-based learning opportunities from Prep all the way through to high school. In these projects, students are encouraged to consider what gifts and talents they have which could be used to make a positive difference to the world. Some examples of the projects we run and how we engage with social innovation include the following:
• Our Year 4 students engage with the FEAST unit of work developed by OzHarvest. Within this unit of work, they explore food sustainability and issues surrounding food waste. The students develop their cooking skills by making recipes using food items that are often thrown away. They then create, make, and sell a class recipe book to help reduce food waste and donate all the proceeds to feed local families in need.
• Our Year 3 students engage in the project-based learning unit of work where they go through the human-centred design process to find out about the needs of people experiencing homelessness. They connect with Orange Sky Laundry, Rosies, and St Vincent de Paul to find out more about this problem and reinvent the Vinnies Winter Appeal to support people in need.
• Our Middle School students engage in a number of Passion and Purpose Pathway subjects which are designed to connect with industry, engage in experiential learning opportunities and develop essential skills. Often these projects have a service learning or real-world lens. Within these subjects’ students engage with social innovators such as Sub-Station 33, 8X8 to educate, The Possibility Project, Pimpama Tri-Care, and the Sewing Lair.
In the future, we will continue to build and diversify the way we engage with social innovation. Our vision is to have a social innovation hub run on the school campus. This hub could be a space where students, parents, community members and social innovators work collaboratively to help solve some of the big issues! Exciting times are ahead for us here at LORDS.
Leah Haywood
Project Coordinator
