A planning project by Gifted and Talented (Stellatus) students at Chisholm Catholic College has recently been recognised by the peak professional body of Western Australian Town Planners, the Planning Institute of Australia (WA) and awarded ‘Best Secondary Student Project’.
Chisholm Stellatus teacher and Head of Science, Paul Shanahan, attended the Planning Institute of Australia’s (WA Branch) Annual Awards night last year 4 November, and on Chisholm College’s behalf, accepted the State Award.
As part of the Stellatus Course, Year 8 Gifted and Talented students undertake an extended project called “My Suburb in 50 Years: Students Planning for the Future.”
As part of the project, students are tasked with examining the suburb where they live and creating a vision that makes it ‘fit for purpose’ in 50 years’ time.
The students are placed in groups and are assigned a strategic location in their suburb that becomes the focus of their Project.
They conduct a site visit to assess the current conditions in their location. With the help of expert Town Planners, General Manager and Principal Planner at CLE, Eleni Thorman and Director at Planning Solutions, Ben Doyle, the groups apply town planning principles to answer these questions: “What role does my local suburb have in helping Perth address issues relating to its rapidly growing population?” “How can I plan for my suburb to become vibrant; liveable; sustainable; and prosperous in 50 years’ time?”
Year 8 student Amber Nguyen said the project is essential because students are the future of Australia.
“We have the power to determine the success or failure of the economy for years to come,” Miss Nguyen said.
“Learning how to plan ahead and think about the critical requirements for the future in order for the economy to expand will prove to be very useful and makes this project immensely captivating,” she said.
The Project provides the students with opportunities to develop their critical and creative thinking skills.
It forces the students to collaborate effectively with their group members to enforce the disciplines required to meet a project deadline.
“The most powerful aspect of this project, however, from a teachers’ point of view is watching young people think deeply about the future of their locality and discover how they can make it a better place to live,” said Paul Shanahan.