Social justice initiatives, such as Clean Up Australia Day, are important in contributing to community wellbeing and fostering a sense of hands-on responsibility towards environmental stewardship. Earlier this year Dickinson House students and Haileybury Pangea students arranged Clean-Up Australia Day events as part of their social justice initiatives.
Nate (Year 12) highlighted the broader significance of participating in initiatives like Clean Up Australia Day, emphasising its role in nurturing a healthier and more vibrant community.
“The act of cleaning public spaces not only benefits the environment but also sets a positive example for others to follow. It’s a way of giving back to the community and contributing to a much healthier and wider cause. It sets a good example for us and others to follow; to better the community and do things that others may not be willing to do. The boys felt positive after cleaning up public spaces that we use often,” Nate said.
Vice-Captain of Dickinson House, Anthony (Year 12), echoes the sentiment, emphasising the sense of pride experienced during the clean-up efforts. “It was a really good feeling to clean up our local community, not just because of how much rubbish we managed to collect, but to see all of the Dickinsonians who gave up their time on a Sunday morning to come and help clean up.”
Flynn (Year 12), Captain of Dickinson House, spent time in the lead up to the event rallying fellow Dickinsonians to participate.
“In the lead up to the event, I communicated the importance of the event and stressed the significance of attending with my fellow house mates.
“Right before the event I gathered everyone on top of the rotunda and thanked the large number of Dickinsonians for coming. I then mentioned that this is our area, and we should take pride in keeping it clean. After doing so we headed down for instructions from the event manager.”
Maddy (Year 12) and Sean (Year 12), are the School Captains at Haileybury Pangea and participated from their local areas. “We were both passionate about starting up more social justice initiatives at Haileybury Pangea,” they said. “Clean Up Australia Day seemed like the right fit for Haileybury Pangea as it was something that was easy access to everyone in the Haileybury Pangea community, and a way we could utilise our Australia-wide network to encourage greater change than what would be possible at one singular location.”
The duo made Clean Up Australia a weekend-long event, where members of the Haileybury Pangea community, wherever they were, picked up rubbish and did their best to make the environment better. Maddy went to her local park to clean up any rubbish she could find. “When I got there, I was surprised at how clean it was, but under further investigation and the help of my dogs, I managed to fill up two garbage bags.”
Sean attended a regatta in Ballarat, allowing him to meet up with other Haileybury Pangea students, where together they enjoyed cleaning up an area with family and friends.
As Maddy and Sean suggest, the key to meaningful participation lies in taking the first step.
“A little goes a long way in the sense that just five minutes of your time spent cleaning up an area makes such a difference, and in doing so can also inspire others to clean up as well,” Maddy said.
Well done to all Haileyburians who participated in this year’s Clean Up Australia initiative!