Student showcase

Below are examples of student exhibition showcases developed as part of this online program. They demonstrate the variety of outcomes that can be achieved and include reflections from individual participants.

Narratives Across Cultures

Victoria University students attend sessions at the Immigration Museum and produce video documentaries exploring issues of migration and settlement.

Use the menu in the top left of the video to view the playlist.

Melbourne Girls College

Students participated in an action research project with a focus on migration stories as part of the Year 10 History curriculum. The class attended three workshop sessions at the Immigration Museum and one at school – facilitated by Jan Molloy from the museum.

The students used Small Object Big Story to develop their research project, and had the opportunity to shape its outcome with the broader community. The project was supported with a $1000 grant from the Australian Government’s Promoting intercultural diversity through values and civics and citizenship education fund.

The process of involving young people in the collection of other people’s stories, designing a professional exhibition, and sharing the experience with the wider community, recognises that 'Cultural Diversity' as exemplified in schools, is valuable for both personal and civic development. The school, in partnership with the Immigration Museum, aims to make this 'real world' experience significant for the students and useful for the wider community.

Eaglehawk Secondary College

Staff at Eaglehawk Secondary College in Bendigo partnered with the Immigration Museum in Melbourne to conduct a pilot program with 50 Year 8 students. The aim of the project was to raise student awareness of the diversity of Australian society and identity. A visit to the museum and use of the museum’s extensive online resources, especially Origins and Small Object Big Story, supported the learning program developed at the school.

Students were encouraged to identify and appreciate the contribution migrants have made and continue to make to Australia. They identified the diversity in their own history as well as in the demography of Australia. Students worked individually, and in self selected and teacher selected groups to engage in whole class discussions around the issues and trends of migration. Students engaged with culturally diverse young people from Gilmore Girls School to hear of their experiences and views of life in Australia.

At the conclusion of the unit students developed a display of their research at the Bendigo Regional Library. Because this practical research project had a broad base across the curriculum, it provided Eaglehawk Secondary College with a pedagogical platform to develop the program in the future with all of Year 8.

Advance Community Partnership

The Immigration Museum and Wodonga Middle Years College – Felltimber Campus formed an Advance Community Partnership in 2007to enable young people to develop a community learning project.

Students and their teacher spent several days exploring the Immigration Museum. They discussed the objectives of the museum with a broad range of staff who had responsibility for exhibitions, public programs, customer service, venue hire, marketing, public relations, multimedia and technical operations. Immigration Museum Public Programs staff then visited the students at school and facilitated workshops to identify a focus for the students' project.

Students chose how they would like to work with the Immigration Museum and established a partnership project brief including a frame of reference with specific local community connections. The outcome was ongoing visitation to the Immigration Museum and participation in the Immigration Museum’s German Festival.

The final result of the collaboration was the creation of an exhibition using Small Object Big Story. Students researched and told the stories of members of their families, school and broader Wodonga community. The exhibition opened on 7 December 2007 at the Wodonga Art Space and ran for three weeks.

My Story, Your Story Exhibition

In 2008, the Wodonga Middle Years College – Felltimber Campus re-exhibited their Advance Community Partnership project at the Immigration Museum. This was the final stage in the project that began in 2007. Students and staff from the college attended the opening, with Minister for Youth Affairs, James Merlino.