VOCATIONAL major (VM) students at Swan Hill College have lent a helping hand at the Lake Boga Community Garden.
Volunteer Sue Donnelly said the group of Year 11 students were certainly not afraid of hard work.
“We needed some help with the heavy work, some of the cactuses and things that we just couldn’t do,” she said.
“And look at them, they’re ripping in like Flynn! They’re enthusiastic and it’s just so amazingly helpful.”
Carol Webb, another volunteer at the community garden, said in a few hours the students were able to complete what would have taken the volunteers a year.
“The average age of volunteers at the garden is around 75; I’m the youngest and I’m nearly 70,” Ms Webb said.
“Jeez, these kids work. I keep warning them all: you don’t have to do too much.
“But they’ll just keep working quick as quick – look at how they’ve trimmed this tree!”
Swan Hill College student Darcy Behsmann said working with the Lake Boga Community Garden was part of the students’ workplace skill practices class.
“We’ve been helping the volunteers with trimming plants, weeding, as well as building and constructing features to expand the garden’s stunning collection of creative arts and decorative features,” Mr Behsmann said.
“We’re also currently building a smaller scale replica of the old Lake Boga railway station built in the 1890s, which will be brought to the gardens to sit as part of their collection.”
VM is a stream of VCE education which enables students to learn outside the classroom and gain hands-on experience in different fields.
Brett Theobald is a VM teacher at Swan Hill College, and said the stream readies students for real-world employment.
“There are four strands of VM: literacy, numeracy, work related skills and personal development skills,” Mr Theobald said.
“It’s for kids who want to stay in school but have decided they don’t want to go straight to university.
“In their personal development units, they build resume writing skills, computer and interview skills.
“But volunteering at the garden is a good way to get involved and give back to the community.
“They’re working as a team, caring for the environment, working with different age groups and the elderly.
“We’ll try and come out here at least once a month.”
Ms Webb said the results of the students’ help was overwhelming.
“It’s just great having such massive help from the Swan Hill College VM Year 11 students, thank you all so much,” Ms Webb said.
