Social Justice
Utilis In Ministerium
Building a classroom in a remote village of Thailand, preparing birthing kits for Africa, raising funds for youth homelessness… these are just a few cases highlighting how our girls have been living the School Motto – Utilis in Ministerium (Useful in Service) for almost 100 years.
Each year our Junior and Senior Social Justice Captains work tirelessly to plan events and raise awareness and funds.
The School also has a dedicated Social Justice Curriculum and a Year 9 Social Justice Learning Program. This program raises consciousness about injustice, encourages empathy and supports our girls to take action.
Our girls are encouraged to have a ‘can do now’ attitude.
A Camberwell Girls education empowers students to lead with humility and inspires them to make a difference by contributing to building a more just and sustainable world.
The River Nile Foundation
As part of our commitment to create lifelong learners and global citizens, we are constantly building new programs, experiences and opportunities both in and out of the classroom. One program that hasn’t changed since its inception in 2008, is our support of the River Nile Learning Centre.
Forming part of our ever-growing Social Justice Program, our Year 9 students have been volunteering at the River Nile Learning Centre for eight years now.
They gain so much from the experience, that we won’t be stopping our visits and support of this charity anytime soon.
It is our own Dr Reverend Duncan Reid that created this special partnership, as at the time he was the coordinator of our Social Justice Program.
The River Nile Learning Centre is an organisation that empowers disadvantaged and refugee asylum seeker women through education, which enables them to participate in our community on a more equal footing and also prepares them for employment.
“We established the Centre in 2006 in response to the African communities concern that many of its children were falling behind their Australian-born counterparts in mainstream schools,” says Lisa Wilson, Director of the Centre.
The River Nile has come along way since forming in 2006. It’s moved homes three times and is now located in North Melbourne. It has also expanded by enlisting tutors from The University of Melbourne who now coordinate the teaching.
As a small not-for-profit, the Centre certainly values the contribution made by our own girls and equally, our girls certainly value the experience.
“It was a privilege to volunteer. It definitely made me more grateful for what I have and it highlighted that life doesn’t come easy to everyone…some people really have to work for it,” says Year 9 volunteer Emma Dunlop.
Maddi Parfuss is quick to agree. “I experienced firsthand the impact and change that you can make to the community just by volunteering some of your time. I look forward to going back.”
Duncan believes that the best learning often comes through personal interaction. “It’s a very practical way of helping a valuable community service, and also an opportunity for our girls to interact with a small slice of the refugee community in Melbourne.
Charities we supported in 2015
Hagar International, Royal Children’s Hospital, World Vision, Zonta, RSPCA, Thank You Water, UNICEF, Deafness Foundation, MND Australia, Indigenous Literacy Foundation, Save a Child’s Heart, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Oxfam, River Nile Learning Centre, Nepal Earthquake, Ladder Foundation, Breast Cancer Network Australia.
