The Echuca-Moama Beacon Foundation started in 2001 and became an incorporated association in 2003. We are a not-for- profit licensee of the National Beacon Foundation which started the highly successful “No Dole” program in Tasmania in 1995. The Beacon Foundation is nationally recognized for its work with young people and as a national organization for more than 20 years.
Echuca-Moama was the first mainland Beacon site. The Echuca - Moama Beacon Foundation bases its activities on the firm belief that a whole community must be embraced to assist young people and to help build a bright future for them. It runs the Real Futures program (based on the No Dole program) for all local Year 9 students. Real Futures is a careers program encompassing community members to ensure that each student makes a positive and informed decision regarding education, training and employment beyond Year 10.
Beacon harnesses the expertise and commitment of local business people and engages them and general community members in events which bolster and complement classroom learning. Our events are discussed later in this prospectus.
The fundamental goal of the program is that ALL students in the area proceed to further education, training or employment at the completion of Year 10.
Echuca Moama Beacon Foundation is proud in the knowledge that in its eighteen years of operation, around 6800 students have been exposed to the program, with positive student outcomes in regard to making positive life choices.
The five Beacon schools in Echuca are St Joseph’s College, Echuca College, Moama Anglican Grammar, River City Christian College and Echuca Twin Rivers Specialist School.
The Beacon Careers Expo is a great way for young people to learn about a range of careers from people working in the industry.
The Real Futures Program showcases a host of opportunities for individual schools to share common experiences in a community setting, and includes details of the core commitments agreed on by each school as a Beacon partner.
The core commitments for education providers wishing to access the Echuca Moama Beacon Program are attendance and input at the following events:
Student Leadership Day
The Beacon Leaders from the five schools meet with the Beacon Co-ordinator and representatives from the Board of Management to get an understanding of their role as leader and receive information about the upcoming Beacon events, public speaking, leadership and networking. The day involves ‘getting to know you’ activities and a number of hands-on workshop sessions. The leaders host and assist the organization of all Beacon events and are provided with the support and guidance throughout the year to develop their leadership skills.
Business Breakfast
To start the year of events Echuca Moama Beacon Foundation hosts a business breakfast. This is the first event where Beacon leaders are involved in the organization of the event. This includes organizing catering, greeting and seating of guests and networking with the variety of businesses involved. This is also a great opportunity to network with the Echuca business community and source support both financially and in kind to keep our foundation working for the schools.
Careers Expo
Students are surveyed to determine their general career interests and largely on that basis, over 50 workshops are organised. Local employers and business people interact with small groups of students to learn about their careers. Also on the day there are businesses and organisations that have some mobile aspect to them. They bring their cars, vans, trucks, tractors, utes and emergency service vehicles loaded with equipment required on the job. Students attend five workshops over the course of the day and leave with ‘insider’ knowledge about some of their potential career paths.
In 2020, in partnership with Campaspe Cohuna LLEN we created 58 Careers Videos availble for local schools to utilise in lieu of the normal Careers Expo. These videos, in conjunction with a tailored workbook, are used by schools' careers and Real Futures classes to assist students in their pathways planning.
Pathways Pledge Ceremony
The primary purpose of the Pathways Pledge ceremony is for the students to make a public commitment, by signing a pledge board, to pursue further education, training or employment at the end of their schooling. Each year an inspirational speaker is invited to speak to the students on the day about their career journey. Members of the community are invited to attend to show their support for the young people in their journey to the future.
Interview Technique Sessions
All students are provided with Interview Technique Sessions, co-presented by CCLLEN and Beacon, to prepare them for their interviews and with writing of their application letters and resumes. This compliments the work of the school’s careers programs
Mock Interviews
During their Real Futures class, students research jobs and careers of interest and prepare resumes, application letters and learn basic interview techniques. Over 45 local business people get involved each year, this year there will be 420 interviews conducted! Our volunteers hold mock job interviews and share their feedback with students and teachers.