Justice-involved teens encouraged to self-express through art gallery visit

Education is about more than learning. It’s about sparking curiosity, encouraging reflection and opening possibilities. 

Unfortunately, many of the students at Jesuit Social Services’ Ignatius Learning Centre have had a bad experience of school and have disengaged or become disinterested.   

The Ignatius Learning Centre is a small independent Catholic school for boys aged 15-17 who are in contact with the criminal justice system. Jesuit Social Services opened the school in 2021 as an alternative to youth detention and an opportunity to help these boys to get their lives on track and realise their potential. 

While the school is focused on engaging students and helping them complete VCAL before moving on to further training or employment, teachers also harbour dreams to expand the horizons for these young men and help them discover a love of life-long learning. 

Lead Teacher at the school, John Pritchard, together with another teacher at the school, Nicholas Porter, began working with staff at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) to provide an opportunity for students to visit and learn more about art and the lives of some of history’s greatest artists. 

“A lot of our students are creative but have a limited understanding of what creativity is,” said John. “Giving them this experience might unlock something else – a career path, or something they’re interested in, or understand themselves a little more.”  

While an excursion like this could be incredibly daunting for students at the school, John and Nicholas worked hard, and for many weeks, to normalise the trip and allay any fears. This included having the NGV education lead, David Menzies, attending the school to present to students on what they would encounter. 

Finally, in December, the excursion took place, and the impact was exactly what John and Nicholas were hoping for. One student, Adam*, was first enthralled by the stained glass ceiling in the great hall before touring exhibits where he was particularly interested in the stories behind Picasso’s “Weeping Woman” and Tiepolo’s “The Banquet of Cleopatra”. 

“Adam asked really insightful questions about the art and reflected on his own thoughts and feelings on seeing the pieces,” said John. “He plans to return with his girlfriend and share his new insights. It’s great to see him so passionate about something new.” 

With one successful excursion under their belts, the team at the Ignatius Learning Centre is looking forward to an ongoing relationship with the gallery in the hope of sparking curiosity and a love of life-long learning.