Russian Students Say No to Drugs
From
26 March, 2009, the VSL_McKinnon Russian-speaking students are taking
part in the ground-breaking project “Russian Youth Say No to Drugs”
delivered by the Russian Ethnic Representative Council in Victoria
(RERC). Funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health, Russian
Community Crime Prevention and by the Attorney General’s Department,
the project aims at reducing and preventing illicit drug use among
Russian-speaking youth in Victoria. The Area Manager of VSL at McKinnon
Center, Ms Venetia Kefalianos, and Area Supervisor, Ms Diana Hatch,
welcomed the unique opportunity for VSL students to say no to drugs.
Thanks to the mutual cooperation and partnership between the VSL team
and the RERC project officers, the students received substantial
training and mastered tools that can be applied towards drug-related
issues.
Two
parts of the Project - informative and interactive - were blended and
assimilated into the VCE program. During March-April, students absorbed
information on the topic concerning drug use consequences. Apart from
listening and comprehending, watching the documentary film has had the
strongest impact on them. The following discussion on how to protect
yourself from drugs has turned into a practical workshop. The workshop
offered a range of activities aiming at how to minimize antisocial
behaviors amongst Russian youth, how to recognize the problem, and how
to help those who need a firm stand against drugs.
Year
12 student Kostja mentioned that he was impressed by the
depth of information presented by the Russian Ethnic Representative
Council project officers, Ms Julia Melnik and Ms Elena Belikova, who
have organized several thematic seminars and practical workshops. They
also encouraged students to take part in the Annual Social Essay
Competition on the topic undertaken during March–April and sponsored by
the RERC. He submitted his essay on the topic “Russian Students Say No
to Drugs” and is eager to receive the results in the middle of May.
VSL
Russian teacher, Dr Irina Vasilenko, underlined the significance of
the training offered by the RERC. She said, “The significance of the
outcomes of this Project is far reaching. The students were not only
fully informed about drug-taking consequences, but also equipped with
strategies encouraging young people to strengthen themselves against
any drugs. Those students who attended these classes and went through
the workshop activities will never consider experimenting with drugs
However, we should not underestimate the importance of the fact that
students were encouraged to see a practical side of studying Russian
via social links provided by the Russian community”. Dr Irina Vasilenko
is inviting all VCE teachers to explore more opportunities for engaging
in a language learning process with life-learning programs offered by
ethnic communities in native languages.