Dane Fowler, our 15 year-old P/VCAL student was beaming when he collected his art prize from Child and Family Services (CAFS).

CAFS celebrated National Family Week with an Art competition where participants could use any form of art to express what family meant to them.

Dane depicted his ideal family in five drawings showing family members spending quality time together. Dane also wrote a short essay on his own relationship with his family.

Dane is enrolled in P/VCAL at the Foundation Level. In his pre-entry questionnaire, he indicated he was interested in Building and Construction; his favourite sports are indoor cricket and football. Dane plays with the Ararat Eagles football team in the Lexton Plains football league. P/VCAL has provided Dane with more flexibility to achieve his educational goals.

Dane participated in the orientation Camp which provided the group with the opportunity for some team building. He participated in the Caving activity and loved the experience.

Since the start of term, Dane has been attending classes regularly and applying himself to his studies. His teachers are very pleased with his behaviour and work output. They feel that the environment and less formalised learning style are better suited to Dane.

With the support of the LenZone! staff, Dane has applied to two employers for work and continues to build on his folio of achievements.

Partnership VCAL has the potential to nurture many disengaged young people back onto a positive pathway to employment or further education and should be supported. Many of the participants are likely to remain in the community and play a vital role in the future generation.