Kylz’s Vocational Visit

I'm doing things a little differently and "kicking off" (or starting for those Canadian followers) my vocational visit post with a letter to Donna and Warren.

Dear Donna and Warren,

Thank you so much for such a wonderful vocational day in Bawlf and Camrose. You are both truly amazing people and your community are very fortunate to have you…if you ever feel like moving please come to Australia and live in my town of Inverell. The world could really use more people such as yourselves. The projects that you are both involved in and continue to support are incredible and it was very apparent that the members of your community are very proud of you. The Rotary motto is "Service above Self" and you are shining examples of this. I am truly grateful for all of your hard work in organising my vocational visits and I look forward to keeping in touch.

Warm regards,

Kylie

Vocational Visits (I will TRY to keep this short and sweet, as it is a blog, but if you read this and want to know more please ask lots of questions!!!). Also, I have only included some photos from my visits, as I need expressed permission.

1^st stop: Bawlf One-to-One Laptop Learning project – Donna and I had the pleasure of being shown around this exemplary school by Patrick. He took us into several classes to speak to the teachers and students who were quite interested in my Auzzie accent. It was wonderful seeing first hand the amazing things that the teachers are doing at the school. We then discussed the project and it was enlightening to say the least. Patrick is an outstanding educator and is a real credit to his profession. I learned so much from this visit and look forward to applying it in my own school and future contact. The following is a picture of Patrick and myself AND MY AWESOME WILDCATS JUMPER!!! It is soooo cool!!!

2^nd stop: Open Door- All the "educators" met up for lunch at Café Connections, which is a terrific initiative. Randal spoke to us about the café and how it provides work experience for at risk youth to help them gain the necessary skills for employment. I would like to add that Café Connections was a wonderful place to have lunch and I also got to have my very first Taco salad here. This was a very special visit and it was wonderful talking with Randal. He is very passionate about what he does and a very motivated (and motivating) person.

3^rd stop: Battle River online- I then met up with Bryan who showed me all about distance education online. He was absolutely fantastic and showed me the programs they use for their online classes and even set up a class for me (this was an experience to say the least!!!). He was so enthusiastic and driven about his work, which was so refreshing to see.

4^th stop: Working Together project- This project was so remarkable. It allows mothers under the age of 25 to study and complete their high school studies, as well as provide daycare for their children. The teachers and support staff that work with them are so dedicated and caring. A special mention must be made about the girls themselves. It was a real privilege to speak with these extraordinary young women, they really are amazing and I couldn't help but admire them.

Oops I was meant to keep this short! Actually, those that know me well are probably thinking it was J all I can say is…I REALLY TRIED!

A special thank you to everyone for being so willing to share your time, resources and passion for what you do with me!!!