John Septimus Roe Anglican Community School
Catalyst23: Sparking Change
through Service and Advocacy
Initiated in 2022, Catalyst23 aims to support student learning through service and advocacy in the community. As one of the Anglican Schools Commission’s five pillars, Service Learning plays a crucial role in fostering both pastoral and academic success through experiential learning.
The name Catalyst23 combines ‘catalyst,’ meaning ‘to spark change,’ with a reference to Matthew 23:11 ‘The greatest among you will be your servant’. Our goal is to ignite ‘servant leadership’ within our school and extend it to the wider community. This initiative encompasses the entire school.
Primary School Initiatives
In the Primary school, students collect cans and bottles to raise funds through Containers for Change. They nominate organisations to receive the funds, learning about sustainability, recycling and environmental responsibility while understanding the needs of various charities and how their fundraising efforts make a difference.
Year 7 Experiences
Year 7 students are introduced to Catalyst23 during their first school camp, where they learn about Anglicare WA and its services, particularly Y-Shac, a crisis accommodation centre for young people. Throughout the year, they create meal packs for Y-Shac residents, mentored by our Year 11 and 12 Hospitality program students. At the end of the year, students participate in a Christmas decoration activity at Y-Shac, sharing the Christian blessing during the festive season.
Year 8 Activities
In Year 8, students read The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do, exploring refugee and migrant perspectives. Students then have an opportunity to participate in the Act for Peace Ration Challenge, living on a small package of rations similar to those of refugees for three days. This experiential learning deepens their understanding of their connectivity to social issues faced by many people across the world.
Year 7 and 8 students can also join the Esperance Service Learning tour, using soccer and netball to build community relationships. Our students run sports clinics for primary school students in Esperance and donate equipment to support ongoing sports programs and the development of community and unity.
Year 9 and Year 10 Programs
Year 9 students participate in the Rite Journey program, which supports students as they explore the path to becoming responsible young adults. With the guidance of mentors, students learn more about their identities and their place in the world along with developing an understanding of how their behaviour and attitude shapes the way people perceive them. They then continue their exploration of identity through the East Kimberly Service Learning adventure in Year 10, traveling to Kununurra for an outback service experience in the El Questro and Lake Argyle districts.
Advocacy and Ambassadorship
Year 10 students can apply to become Anglicare WA Ambassadors, learning about advocacy and service. They advocate and fundraise for Anglicare WA’s Street Connect, a youth outreach service for displaced youth. Many Year 10-12 students also participate in the combined schools Sleep Out, raising awareness and funds for homelessness by experiencing a night on the concrete with just a piece of cardboard and a sleeping bag. The simulation aims to raise awareness of the difficulties faced by those that are displaced, creating a sense of empathy and removing preconceived ideas of what it meant to be homeless.
Linking Knowledge and Action
A prime example of the Catalyst23 Programs impact is volunteering at a Good Sammy’s donations warehouse, where students learn about the industry and sort clothing for a day. Back at school, students initiate a used clothing drive and run their own pop-up Op Shop. This event is supported by many students across the high school who love a good bargain and are supportive of reducing clothing waste and organisations such as Good Sammy’s. Our primary school students also support this initiative by exchanging used clothing for a day in pyjamas with the proceeds going to Anglicare WA.
Catalyst23 is still in its infancy, being only two and a half years old. We are encouraged by the growth we've seen and look forward to future opportunities for our students to learn and grow through servant leadership.