Strong and Smart film has far reaching effect
The making of a documentary on the highly successful Indigenous education program of Suncorp 2004 Queenslander of the Year Chris Sarra has had two remarkable outcomes already.
When documentary film maker and Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Creative Industries Faculty lecturer Mark Newman travelled to Cherbourg State School, 260km north-west of Brisbane, to make a video about a bold new concept in Indigenous education, he never imagined he would end up at the school teaching film-making part-time.
Nor did he imagine his 28-minute film Strong & Smart: The Rise of the Cherbourg School would become part of an education package sent out by the Australian College of Educators to 500 schools Australia-wide.
But that is exactly what has happened. Following the making of the film, Mark, along with fellow QUT Creative Industries lecturer Dr Gary MacLennan, developed the Cherbourg Digital Project, a unique program that engages Indigenous youth in digital technology through training school staff, students and community members in content production.
Mark said students as young as nine are now busy making their own short films, including DVDs especially for the joint centenary in October of Cherbourg and neighbouring town Murgon.
But the Cherbourg Digital Project is not restricted to filmmaking. “It has led to broadband access for Cherbourg and the establishment of a Community Access Centre where students can continue to do computer-based research after school hours,” Mark said. Both the Digital Project and the Strong and Smart Program are being assessed for use in other Indigenous communities throughout Australia and even further a field.
Since Chris Sarra became principal of Cherbourg State School in 1998, the level of regular attendance has increased from 50 per cent to 95 per cent, literacy has been boosted by 63 per cent, the progression of students from Year 1 to Year 7 has increased from 52 per cent to 75 per cent and school morale has soared.
Chris said that Cherbourg State School used to be a dumping ground for teachers.
“But I changed all that by putting in place a new team who actually believed they could make the children in our school stronger and smarter,” Chris said. “We also convinced the children that they could be stronger and smarter by making them feel great about being Aboriginal. Importantly, we got them to understand that they can be successful and they can still be Aboriginal.”
Chris, who has a Master of Education in School Guidance and Counselling from QUT and was named QUT Alumnus of the Year for 2004, hopes to further his partnership with QUT to help spread the Strong and Smart Program. “We envisage conducting . y-in training sessions for principals, having Strong and Smart camps where Indigenous kids from all over Australia can participate and packaging units of education,” he said. Chris said the secret to his success, as with all good educators, was simply believing in his students.