Victorian Student Representative Council in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | Education

Victorian Student Representative Council

Locality: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Phone: +61 3 9247 3744

Address: 552 Victoria Street 3000 Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Website: http://www.vicsrc.org.au

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• Non-profit organisation
• Education
• Community organisation

25.01.2022 As some of you may be aware there is currently a deeply distressing video circulating on various social media platforms - primarily Facebook and TikTok. We've included a link below to some more information about this in the hopes that people will be spared viewing this horrific content. Please look after yourselves - it might be a good night to stay off social media. https://www.abc.net.au//tiktok-suicide-video-prom/12641136

25.01.2022 NEWS: The Premier has just announced that all of Victoria is entering Stage 4 lockdown from 11:59pm tonight until midnight, Wednesday 17th February. All Victorian students will return to learning from home for all of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Swipe for more info

24.01.2022 Do you love #studentvoice? Want to help us make this year's virtual #VicSRCongress happen? Are you looking for a way to fill your days and see new and different faces on your endless zoom calls? Look no further! We want YOU to volunteer at Congress 2020. Taking place in the September school holidays this year's Congress looks a little bit different but is still jam-packed with the roar of student voice! Find out more and put your name down right here:

23.01.2022 Thinking about what schools and the education system can do to help promote and protect the mental health and wellbeing of students as we head towards COVID normal? Us too! Our EO Nina and one of our new Student Executive Advisory Committee members Aakriti will be talking with lots of other wonderful education stakeholders on Monday! We highly recommend you check it out!

23.01.2022 Only eight days to go until #VicSRCongress 2020! To our lucky delegates: have you downloaded the Congress app? Started the welcome course? Thought about what issue you're going to pitch? We can't wait to see you! If you can't make it to Congress this year that's okay! Make sure you're following us across social media to hear about the issues and discussions on Twitter, livestream our Education Perspectives Panel (more on this on Wednesday) and a live performance on Facebook and keep up with the highlights on Instagram!

22.01.2022 There’s more to say after R U OK? is this year’s R U OK? Day theme - it's important to acknowledge that mental health is more than just a question! 2020 has been a challenging year for everyone and circumstances have made it even more important for us all to stay connected and, for those who are able, be willing to support those around us. You don’t have to be an expert to keep the conversation going when someone says they’re not OK. By knowing what to say you can help so...meone feel supported and access appropriate help long before they’re in crisis, which can make a really positive difference to their life. Go to the R U OK website (https://www.ruok.org.au/how-to-ask) to read more about how to ask if someone’s okay. Don’t forget to ask your school what supports are available to you, and remember: be kind to yourselves and others! #theresmoretosay #studentvoice #vicsrc

22.01.2022 Applications to become a #VicSRC Ambassador are open! Do you want to learn about student voice, create change with students across Victoria and have the opportunity to represent VicSRC? Then VicSRC Ambassadors is for you! VicSRC Ambassadors are secondary school students from all over Victoria who come together to create real, student-led change in their communities based on the 2020 VicSRC Congress priorities.... Read more about the Ambassasors and send in your application: https://buff.ly/3klySsk

22.01.2022 How’re you feeling about (hopefully) heading back to school next term? A couple of our Exec went back through our ‘Learning from remote learning’ report (check it out if you haven’t already!) and have some suggestions of concrete things your school can do! Grab the list (as well as the original report) on the SVH right here: https://studentvoicehub.org.au//recommendations-for-creat/

22.01.2022 Congratulations to our very own Student Executive Advisory Committee 2019-20 member and 2020 Congress Coordinator Bri!! Bri is one of the finalists for Youth Affairs Council Victoria Rural Youth Award for young people leading change, and we couldn't be more excited Join Youth Affairs Council Victoria today to celebrate the positive stories and outstanding achievements at the Awards Ceremony. Where: Zoom... When: 18th November 2020 at 4 pm. Cost: Free but registration is essential! The event is open to young people, the youth sector and anyone connected to rural and regional young people. To register, head to: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/2020-yacvic-rural-youth-awa

21.01.2022 "School camps are an important part of a student's education and they will also provide a much-needed boost for school camp programs and accommodation providers across our regions," @jamesmerlinomp said. Camps are back in business!! Check out this article to get all the details on the regional and rural return to camp in term four! https://buff.ly/3kxIeBU

21.01.2022 Staying safe online: What can you do if your privacy has been breached? There are lots of resources to help demystify privacy online and places you can go to for advice if your privacy online has been breached. Watch Ahelee and Kalina, two of our VicSRC Ambassadors, chat with Victorian Information Commissioner Sven Bluemmel and ySafe Executive Director Taryn Wren about online safety for young people #studentvoice

20.01.2022 Empower your students to become part of a state-wide network to make change in your community! VicSRC Ambassadors are secondary school students from all over Victoria who come together to create real, student-led change based on the 2020 VicSRC Congress priorities. VicSRC Ambassadors will represent VicSRC and students at different education events throughout the year, attend regular meetings with all VicSRC Ambassadors, work with an Action Team of Ambassadors on an issue of t...heir choosing from the Congress priorities to plan and implement actions in their schools, and most importantly, learn about student voice, advocacy and creating change! Applications are open until 29th of January 2021: https://buff.ly/3klySsk #VicSRC #StudentVoice

19.01.2022 VicSRC is recruiting for two new members for our Board of Trustees. VicSRC is the peak body for school aged students in Victoria. We stand with and for students to elevate their voices to be heard. We are seeking applications from individuals who enjoy working with young people, have an interest in education, student voice, agency and participation and/or youth participation. All board positions are voluntary but regional/rural travel expenses are reimbursed. Candidates from ...a variety of cultural backgrounds and lived experiences, young people over the age of 18, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Check out the Position Description for more info: https://mcusercontent.com//d6/PD_for_Board_of_Trustees.pdf

19.01.2022 Two days to go! If you can't make it to #VicSRCongress this year, no worries! You can still join the fun by following us across socials to follow discussions on Twitter, watch our Education Perspectives Panel and a live performance on Facebook, and keep up with the highlights via Instagram!

19.01.2022 Happy NAIDOC week! This year the theme is "Always Was, Always Will Be". VicSRC acknowledges that our work takes place on Aboriginal lands never ceded, that our office sits on the Wurrendjeri lands of the Kulin Nation, and we recognise and pay respects to all Aboriginal peoples as the traditional custodians of this beautiful country on which we learn, play and grow. The #NAIDOC2020 poster, 'Shape of Land', was designed by Perth artist, and former Coolbellup Community School s...tudent, Tyrown Waigana, a Noongar and Saibai Islander man. The artwork shows the Rainbow Serpent coming out of the Dreaming to create this country. How are you celebrating NAIDOC week at your schools? #NAIDOCWeek2020 #NAIDOC2020 #NAIDOC

19.01.2022 We know yesterday's news about a 5-day return to Stage 4 restrictions across Victoria and a (short) return to learning from home was frustrating and stressful for some of us students. Moving in and out of remote learning with little to no warning while trying to stay on top of schoolwork can feel overwhelming! But taking care of our mental health has to be a priority right now - if you're feeling anxious, here's some tips from Headspace that might help: https://buff.ly/2N09fmf

18.01.2022 We attended The Guiding Coalition: Health, Well-being and Inclusion meeting last week and it was a really insightful experience! We shared and learnt a lot from one another, and it made me more aware. One thing I’ll definitely remember is that it’s not Aboriginal history and culture - it’s OUR history and culture.* Inclusion starts with 'our', 'us'... - let’s begin to identify Aboriginal history as OUR AUSTRALIAN history. Aakriti, 2020-21 Student Executive Advisory Committee member : that’s very different to referring to First Nations peoples as our Aboriginal peoples the history of this country is one every student should learn and share, but we don’t own Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; they are not ours to possess!

18.01.2022 Three! More! Days! We can't wait to see you all! #VicSRCongress

17.01.2022 "Let me tell you this: it can often feel like the whole world is on your shoulders, but life is more than your ATAR or how well you did in Year 12. Don’t get me wrong, it is really important to do your best! But there is a whole world beyond school. This is the start of the most exciting journey you’ll ever get to go on. The ATAR is not the most important thing that you’ll graduate with either. Resilience, time management, flexibility, friendships: all these things will carry... you through the rest of your life. And if any class has demonstrated these skills, it’s you, Class of 2020. You’ve already achieved this, and your position on a bell curve doesn’t reflect your determination and grit to finish this marathon of a year. As you complete the last 100m of this race, look back and remember how far you’ve come." Alyssa, one of our 2018-19 Student Executive Advisory Committee members, wrote an inspiring reflection on the wild year that has been 2020 which appeared in The Herald Sun's printed pages yesterday! Read the full article on the Student Voice Hub:

17.01.2022 ICYMI, it's #NAIDOC week! #NAIDOC2020 ends this Sunday, but standing in solidarity with First Nations peoples is something we commit to every day of the year Have you been reading up on the history of the lands we learn, play and grow on? If you've learnt something new this week about Aboriginal language and cultures we'd love to hear all about it! ... Reposted from InVisible See more

15.01.2022 Meet our new Digital Projects Manager, Tristan! Tristan started with us last week and has a background in graphic design, designing and implementing online learning, and managing digital projects He also has a keen interest in technology and user interface design, and in his spare time occasionally writes satirical poetry We’re so excited to have him on the team welcome to VicSRC, Tristan!!

15.01.2022 "Tehnan Shah, a year 12 student at University High and member of the Victorian Student Representative Council’s student executive advisory committee, said there was disappointment and anxiety among her classmates, but also a sense they had done it before. She said schools should focus on students’ mental wellbeing during lockdown before worrying about academic concerns, because no student can study well if they are in a distressed state. Wellbeing should be a priority, they ...should make sure that students are feeling safe, especially in year 12, it’s such a tough year, there’s so much content to get through, Tehnan said." https://www.theage.com.au//teachers-prepare-parents-fret-a

14.01.2022 If you haven't been living under a rock (and frankly this year who could blame you) you'll probably remember our 'Learning from remote learning' report back in June. We heard from more than five hundred students about how the first round of remote learning had gone for them and put together some recommendations for how what we learned could help improve learning in schools! But then, of course, lockdown hit and we added recommendations on how to improve the remote learning ex...perience in round two! And now it's truth time - what went differently in the second round of remote learning? Well, you can check out our 'Learning from remote learning round two' report to find out! Check out the link in our bio for the full report! And while you're at it it's never too early to have a look at those original recommendations for improving the experience of face to face learning and start thinking about how you might want to make some of them part of your school in 2021!

14.01.2022 Not totally sure what the announcements over the weekend mean for you? No worries! We’ve translated and you can find all the details right here! https://buff.ly/2DHA4qW PLUS let us know what you think of the planned timeline so we can make sure #studentvoice is part of the conversation!

13.01.2022 How will Australia’s education system need to evolve to promote and protect the mental health and wellbeing of students, parents and teachers in the wake of the challenges created by COVID-19? Join our Executive Office Nina and 2020-2021 VicSRC Student Executive Advisory Committee member Aakriti for a panel discussion hosted by Prevention United Monday, 28th September to hear student, parent, and mental health representatives explore the issue! Register now:

13.01.2022 #VicSRCongress kicks off TOMORROW! Delegates! Make sure you've downloaded the Congress app, started the welcome course and you're ready with ideas!!

12.01.2022 One of the things to come out of our ‘Learning from Remote Learning’ report was that communication with and support from teachers was key, with most students identifying a lack of communication with teachers as a challenge (read about it in more detail here: https://buff.ly/30CzcLJ). What are you using for communication during remote learning that you'd like to see your school use during a return to face-to-face learning? How could you ask your school to keep using these things?

12.01.2022 Meet our 2020 Rural Youth Awards finalists! Young People Leading Change Karissa Cribbes, Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY) Janelle Graham, Berry Stre...et's Y-Change Shepparton Josh Baker, Let's Life Leongatha Bri Hines, Victorian Student Representative Council Myrtleford Youth Worker Making a Difference Ken Innes, Mallee Accommodation and Support Program MASP Kokoda Youth Mentoring Project Mildura Jane Moriearty, Central Grampians LLEN Stawell Grace Hearn, Uniting Vic.Tas Shepparton Julie Mahony, THE WAVE Warrnambool College Outstanding Youth Project Live4Life, Kyneton Youthrive Victoria, Creswick Keep in Touch Project, Bendigo YAB - Youth Advisory Board Central Highlands LLEN, Ballarat Home Base Mildura Hands Up Mallee, Mildura Congrulations to all of the finalists and thank you for everything you do for your communities. Come celebrate their achievements as young people, youth workers and youth-led programs in rural and regional Victoria, and find out who the winner is in each category at our Awards Ceremony on 18 November so book your spot now!

11.01.2022 "In June, a survey and report conducted by the Victorian Student Representative Council (VicSRC) found that students wanted more regular check-ins from teachers to support their wellbeing. The report, titled: ‘Learning and remote learning’, also revealed that students were also eager to give regular feedback to teachers about their learning and have the opportunity to give input on the direction of future classes. These themes of supporting positive mental health and wellbein...g at school and increasing student engagement also featured prominently at the 2020 VicSRC Congress. To answer this call, the VicSRC teamed up with ed-tech company Verso Learning to create a free student check-in tool that enables teachers to regularly check-in with students either in class or when working remotely." https://www.theeducatoronline.com//how-to-check-in-/274220

11.01.2022 Staying safe online: How do we make informed choices about the apps we use? Going through privacy policies, sometimes I genuinely don’t understand all the legal jargon. And I do think that perhaps they’ve been designed that way. Watch Ahelee and Kalina, two of our VicSRC Ambassadors, chat with Victorian Information Commissioner Sven Bluemmel and ySafe Executive Director Taryn Wren about online safety for young people #studentvoice

11.01.2022 Five days to go!!! What are you most excited about for #VicSRCongress this year?

11.01.2022 Huge congratulations to our very own Student Executive Mitchell, winner of the #VCAA VCE Leadership Award! We are so lucky to have had Mitch lead VicSRC on our Exec Committee for the last two years! The VCE Leadership Awards recognise the important and innovative community work that VCE students are doing and highlight examples of exemplary leadership - in his various roles as part of the Victorian Student Representative Council (VicSRC), Mitch has advocated for and cont...ributed to the improvement of Victorian education, primarily in areas of LGBTIQ+ inclusion, reconciliation, sustainability and COVID-19. At his college, he led the development of the Students Representative Council (SRC) into an independent program, which included the development of the inaugural SRC Strategic Plan and Annual Review. He has worked to expand the role of the SRC Chair to have a college-wide focus and has made improvements to SRC communications. Mitch has played a key role in establishing several programs at his school, including the Delta Project, which focuses on LGBTIQ+ issues, gender equality, diversity and inclusion, and the Student Reconciliation Action Plan Committee. He was also involved in the establishment of the Stories by Senior School program, which has created an amplified sense of community at the college, particularly during remote learning periods. #StudentLeadership #StudentVoice #VicSRC

10.01.2022 Can’t attend #VicSRCongress but still want to get involved? Easy! Join us on Tuesday, 29th September at 3pm to hear a panel of INCREDIBLE students talking about their perspectives on education and their diverse experiences of schooling We’ll be livestreaming it (FREE!) for anyone not at Congress, so keep an eye on our socials! This panel is proudly sponsored by Australian Education Union Victoria.

10.01.2022 In case you missed it: Premier Daniel Andrews announced changes to restrictions in rural and regional Victoria this week! Primary schools students in rural and regional Victoria will return to face-to-face learning week one of term 4 Secondary school students will continue remote learning during week one to allow VCE students to complete the GAT, then will return to face-to-face learning week two of term 4. Read more on the Student Voice Hub:

08.01.2022 Staying safe online: How else can we protect our privacy? Over this series, we’ve talked about a number of ways students can stay safe online. But what else can we do to actively ensure we’re protecting our privacy? ySafe Executive Director Taryn Wren and Victorian Information Commissioner Sven Bluemmel have lots of really useful tips for you! Watch Ahelee and Kalina, two of our VicSRC Ambassadors, chat with Sven and Taryn about online safety for young people #studentvoice.

07.01.2022 Have you applied to be a #VicSRC Ambassador yet?? Here's your chance to learn about student voice, represent VicSRC, meet key education stakeholders, and better yet, work on the Congress priorities to create change in our education system! Check out the full Congress report here: https://buff.ly/2Ta3Fx2 VicSRC Ambassadors are secondary school students from all over Victoria who come together to create real, student-led change in their communities based on the 2020 VicSR...C Congress priorities. Follow this link to read more about the Ambassadors and send in your application: https://buff.ly/3klySsk See more

07.01.2022 Four more sleeps are you ready?!! Delegates: have you downloaded the Congress app? Started the welcome course? Thought about what issue you're going to pitch? Can't make it to #VicSRCongress this year? Make sure you're following us across socials to follow discussions on Twitter, watch our Education Perspectives Panel and a live performance on Facebook, and keep up with the highlights on Instagram!

07.01.2022 Six days to go until #VicSRCongress 2020!!! Have we mentioned we’re excited?! Delegates, don’t forget to get on the app to start the welcome course! We’ll see everyone else at the Education Perspectives panel (which is going to be AMAZING) and live musical performance keep an eye on Facebook for the livestream!

07.01.2022 "#VicSRC is delighted to see significant investment in this years state budget into programs and reforms that will ensure Victorian students receive education that is flexible, supportive and relevant to the 21st century. This budget will provide crucial funding to areas that the VicSRC student community have identified as priorities for change and ensure Victorian students can focus on what they can do instead of what they can’t. Students have repeatedly spoken, at VicSR...C’s annual Congress and more widely, about the need to reform VCE and better deliver the real world skills already included in the curriculum. We are excited to see $38 million over four years dedicated to developing an integrated senior secondary certificate, which will give all students the opportunity to choose academic and practical subjects and gain the skills needed for life after school." Read our full response to the 2021-2021 Victorian Budget here: https://buff.ly/3l4UsBZ #StudentVoice #VicBudget2020 #vicbudget #statebudget

07.01.2022 The ability for students to work at their own pace and decide when and how they would like to learn was a common theme in our Learning from remote learning’ report! (https://buff.ly/30CzcLJ). Schools and timetables should be more flexible about how students learn including shorter school days and longer breaks between classes to rest and refocus. Has your school been flexible with remote learning? What would you like to keep as the gradual return to school progresses? #vicsrc #studentvoice

06.01.2022 Seven sleeps to go and we couldn't be more excited!! We'll see some of you on our app, our learning management system and our zoom calls!! Everyone else, we hope you'll join us for our panel, performance and keep an eye out for our livetweeting and social media excitement!

06.01.2022 "Do you know how to say "hello" in the language of the First Nation you live on? Check out the 50 Words project - an interactive map giving everyone the opportunity to hear Aboriginal languages spoken all across the continent " Via PROJECT ROCKIT... #NAIDOC2020 #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe

05.01.2022 Fantastic news! Ensuring every student has access to devices and internet to support their learning was one of our key recommendations in our Learning From Remote Learning report (read our report on Round 2 here! https://bit.ly/3kZ2dt4). We're excited to see Education Minister James Merlino support Victorian students and empower #StudentVoice

05.01.2022 We went to the VCOSS Treasurer's Breakfast last week and asked Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas who would be responsible for the maintenance and insurance for the devices students get to keep, and whether this activity would continue to be funded so students in the future don't miss out. The Treasurer has let us know the Department is still figuring that out, and Education Minister James Merlino will be advocating for the activity to be ongoing!

04.01.2022 JSYK! VicSRC is going to be closed between 18th December 2020 and 10th January 2021. We need some time to rest and recover from this bonkers year and we hope you're all taking time to recover as well! We're excited to tackle next year and help make #studentvoice happen! Let us know what you've got planned for making your voice heard next year in the comments!

04.01.2022 #VicSRCongress isn't just for delegates! Join us today at 3pm to hear a panel of INCREDIBLE students talking about their perspectives on education and their diverse experiences of schooling. We’ll be livestreaming it for anyone not at Congress via Facebook so make sure you check it out! MEET OUR PANELLISTS Issy (they/them) is a disabled and queer young person currently undertaking year 12 in an alternative education format. They work in the disability and youth space, a...nd frequently writes too. They are passionate about accessible education and representation. Talia is a year 12 student studying Home Economics, Health and Human Development, English, Math, Music Performance and media. I am deaf in my left ear and partially deaf in my right ear and have some very supportive friends in school who help me out. My favourite colour has to be yellow it is such a happy colour!! When I leave school, I’d love to become a teacher for children with special needs and help people who are in need. I love playing sports, you name it and I’ve most likely played it. Lochie is a year 11 student from Mortlake, south west Victoria, currently attending Mortlake college. Outside of school I am passionate about the agricultural industry and showing cattle. Showing cattle has taken me around the world, visiting some amazing places like Canada. I also am heavily involved with the leadership committee with our Angus youth show. Competing at this event for number of years is a way for me to better my leadership skills as well as giving back to our junior show. I am currently doing a Rural Youth Ambassador program and through this opportunity it has opened my eyes to the understanding of our Victorian education system. After school I hope to pursue a career as a stock agent and station agent as well as auctioneering. See you all at 3pm!! This panel is proudly supported by AEU Victoria.

03.01.2022 "2020 has been such a challenging year for all of our students but particularly for our senior students in their final year of school. We have already announced a special consideration process to ensure our VCE students complete the year and any impacts of the pandemic are reflected in their VCE scores and ATAR ranking. Today we announced a complete package to support school students on a vocational pathway as well." #VCE #covid19australia

03.01.2022 You might remember that one of the recommendations from our 'Learning from remote learning' report (check the link in our bio if you haven't read it yet!) was that all teachers should undertake PD in student voice, agency and leadership. We're still working on the mandatory part, but the following topics will be added to the learning areas that appear on the VIT website when teachers complete their annual registration: Building relationships Student voice Student wellbeing... Positive classrooms climate This is a great first step to embedding a culture of #studentvoice in every school across Victoria!

03.01.2022 #RUOKDay was last week, but good mental health for students is an ongoing conversation! It’s important to feel supported and to take care of your mental health all year around, especially now when things are tough and everyone's got exams. So what can you do? Raise your #StudentVoice! Advocate for schools to make sure mental health is just as important as academic success, and include regular wellbeing classes for all students. What is your school doing to support your mental health? What would you like to see them do? Let us know in the comments #RUOK #RUOKDay2020 #VicSRC

03.01.2022 Have you signed up to join the VicSRC Student Editorial Team yet?? It's easy - just head to https://buff.ly/3pPFbbq and complete the 5-minute form!

02.01.2022 The 2020-21 VicSRC Student Executive Advisory Committee had our first meeting with Minister for Education James Merlino and it went sooo well! We talked about the Congress priorities and we were really happy to hear the Minister is genuinely interested in supporting student mental health and empowering student voice Watch the video to hear what we thought about the meeting (or keep reading for the transcript!) "Linh: It went great. We were able to debrief him on all the ...Continue reading

01.01.2022 Hey! In case you missed the announcement metro primary students are going back to school! Check out this link to the SVH for the full details! https://buff.ly/2DHA4qW