One of the most challenging issues in education today is keeping disadvantaged adolescents engaged in learning and providing them with opportunities to achieve and excel despite their disadvantage, both at school and within their community.

Disadvantage and early school leaving  

 It is recognised that disadvantage (economic, social or geographic), poor engagement and poor achievement at school often leads to early school leaving. Research shows that early school leavers are at-risk of negative effects for them as individuals and also for the community, such as:

1. Lower wages and greater financial insecurity: an early school leaver can expect to earn approximately $500,000 less in the course of their working life than someone who completes Year 12.
2. Poorer health: Victorians who do not complete secondary school are almost four times more likely to report poorer health compared to those who finish Year 12.
3. A higher likelihood of child abuse and neglect when early leavers become parents. 
4. Higher instances of homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse and criminal activity.
5. Mortality rates up to nine times higher than the general population.

Breaking the cycle of disadvantage through learning

Evolve believes that disadvantage can be influenced through education, and that while disadvantaged students are often highly talented with great potential, they don’t always have the support, skills and guidance for this to be realised. 

The Leadership Development Program is a three-year experiential and applied learning program that includes: 

• a residential component at Typo Station;
• expeditionary journey; and
• in-school support on a part-time basis from an Evolve Program Coordinator.

The program’s broad objectives are as follows:

• Provide young people with the opportunities for personal growth and development. 
• Influence structures within schools around the delivery of curriculum to more broadly enhance student learning with in the school
• Provide skills and resources to engage students by creating new learning environments and enhancing curriculum content and delivery.
• Prevent early school leaving and/or engage young people into employment and vocational pathways.
• Break the cycle of disadvantage through educational and vocational engagement.
  

Read what students from the Grange have been up to in 2010!

Who is the Leadership Development Program for?	What does the Leadership Development Program look like?	What outcomes does the Leadership Development Program seek?	What our young people say...