Community Impact Team 2009
Coleambally Rejuvenation Project
Goal: To work together in a fun, respectable and sensitive way in order to innovate a project framework which has an empowering and sustainable impact on a rural community.
The UOW Student Community Impact Team 2009 (supported by the Centre for Student Engagement) will be partnering with the Bank of I.D.E.A.S and the rural community of Coleambally to facilitate the development of a Community Action Plan alongside community members.
The UOW Student Community Impact Team consists of 10 UOW students have initialised the partnership with the Bank of I.D.E.A.S. These students will, in conjunction with UOW faculties, recruit up to 15 other UOW students – with skills and interests in areas relevant to the community of Coleambally and take the group of 25 students to visit the town for the period Mon 28th September – Fri 2nd October 2009.
As inspired by the Bank of I.D.E.A.S. the team will attempt to initiate a whole town conversation within a small rural community through the implementation of a charette program. We aim to draw out the visions and ideas that the locals hold about their town to identify potential areas of opportunity for them to move forward.
The charette program will be implemented through the execution of community meetings, round table discussions and social events aiming to maximise community involvement in the generation of ideas. By the end of the team’s five day charette program, the group, in collaboration with the town’s people and specific project committee, will develop an action plan based on the strategies and activities that they see will be the most successful in improving and rejuvenating the town.
This project is a new venture.
There will be five main target groups available to join:
- Youth
- Art/Culture/Infrastructure
- Tourism
- Business
- Environmental Sustainability
The core Community Impact Group will be responsible for facilitating the meetings and presenting to the Coleambally Development Group with an overall report covering the recommendations within each reviewed subject area.
In addition to the action plan, the Community Impact Team in conjunction with the residents of Coleambally aims to work on a ‘physical project’ in recognition of the partnership and friendship formed between all the involved parties.
There will be more information posted about each group, how to join and the project in the coming weeks so keep and eye on the site and if it is something that takes your fancy please contact the team facilitator Hendrik van Senden at Hendrik@uow.edu.au for more information.
