HOL and Connection, Control and Meaning

Meaning

There are clear benefits for marginalised students who come to be viewed in a more positive light by peers and teachers, however, there is a more subtle, and potentially more significant impact that obtains from young people performing a service for their community, or giving back. Such actions can shift these young people’s self-perception from being of limited or no worth to being someone who has something valuable to offer society. The act of contributing something of value to others contains the implicit message that you must have something valuable to contribute, and that there are others who you can help. The following quotes illustrate the implicit benefits of contributing to the local community and the sense of meaning it instils:

HOL community work takes the student away from looking at themselves as a person in need and helps them see that other people have different needs as well.

Ken Massari, Principal, Northern Bay College

“We also built a chook shed for a charity that supports the intellectually disabled. We went to a celebration BBQ and they kept showing us all the eggs they got. It was real cool to see they were so excited about something we did.”

Max, Year 10, Frankston High School

“Hands On Learning students rebuilt the Seaford Scout Hall, one of our most graffiti- infested buildings that had been kicked to death, broken into and badly battered around. This program achieves so much. Not only is the work great quality, but the real magic is how valued the students feel doing something that other people really appreciate”.

Don Bone, Graffiti Management Coordinator, Frankston City Council

Such comments as these are routinely encountered amongst those who are involved with HOL community projects, including students, principals, and community members. They illustrate the way in which students’ connections to themselves, their school, and their community are enhanced through HOL. They also demonstrate the transitive nature of respectful relationships: as students demonstrate respect for others, others gain respect for these students, and everybody benefits.

While connection, control, and meaning are embedded in HOL, to some extent they follow a pattern of that starts with forming strong respectful relationships with other young people and adults that build confidence and security. This creates an environment conducive to building a greater sense of control through developing a variety of useful skills – both practical and social – which in turn enables them to make positive contributions to their school and community and thereby derive an authentic sense of purpose and meaning from the value placed on their efforts by others.