Kids as Catalysts is an award-winning schools-based program that equips children aged 8-12 with real world experience in leading positive community change.

The curriculum-aligned program gives students the skills to identify and solve real problems facing their community, through creative and collaborative projects. It has been delivered in 35 Victorian schools since 2011.

Kids as Catalysts builds skills for life

  • Activates children as major contributors to and creators of their community.
  • Fosters children’s resilience, leadership, and entrepreneurship.
  • Builds and embraces leadership opportunities for children in their schools and communities.
  • Develops children’s passion for social justice, and capacity to drive community change.
  • Strengthens connections between schools and communities.
  • Develops children’s literacy, budgeting, and financial management skills.

‘I felt really proud about myself that I could make a big change in the community. I can do more than I thought.’

Jack
11 years old

Kids as Catalysts empowers children with real life skills

Children can and should be at the heart of post-Covid community recovery. Across the globe in 2019 we saw young people’s desire for change and their incredible power to muster support for action on climate change through social media and other networks.

Our challenge is to meet their courage and determination and provide a means for them to continue to take practical actions to lead the change they want to see in their communities, ensuring their impact remains visible and their voices continue to be heard.

Outcomes & Results

Community impact

Children can have a huge influence on their communities. This data demonstrates the impact Kids as Catalysts participants had in just one year, in one school, in one community when it was delivered at Northern Bay College in 2019.

Outcomes & Results

Educational impact

Kids as Catalysts is linked to the Victorian school curriculum.

Data evaluation shows incredible outcomes in several key learning areas and personal domains including social confidence, willingness to participate and leadership skills. Kids as Catalysts improves literacy, numeracy, confidence and creative thinking skills while at the same time fostering greater social awareness, leadership skills and community networks, empowering children to continue leading positive change in their local communities and instilling in them the importance of learning for life. Key performance indicators include:

  • Self-directed learning and increased community engagement
  • Willingness to participate
  • Increased confidence
  • Increased social awareness and persistence
  • Improved leadership skills
  • Improved teamwork and numeracy skills
  • Improved literacy skills
  • Improved empathy

Read the full Kids as Catalysts Geelong 2019 evaluation report here.

Watch: Northern Bay College teacher Julie Deans talks about Kids as Catalysts.

Kids Thrive.