TWO hours a week is all it takes for a group of Roleystone high school students to give something back to their local community.
One of the Duke of Edinburgh program’s newest members, Roleystone Community College students spend two hours a week of their time designing and planning community initiatives for the wider Roleystone area to enjoy.
Roleystone Community College teacher Jaco Coetzer said one such activity involved students volunteering at the recent Roleystone Markets, where they helped set up stalls, gazebos and tables and unpack cars.
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READ NOW“We believe it is important for students to connect to their local community and feel they belong,” he said.
“Teenagers are often seen in a negative light in small communities like Roleystone and it is important for students, as teenagers within this community, to be afforded the opportunity to present themselves in a positive way and demonstrate how young people are integral to the future of a thriving community.
“Students were able to communicate with older people and learn how to take instruction and demonstrate initiative when under a bit of pressure.”
Mr Coetzer said the group was also involved in an online auction where they offer local community members the chance to have a student do gardening and clearing.
“The proceeds of the auction will be going towards a person within the local community who has lymphoma,” he said.
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