Investing in Australian Youth: Nurturing Values Integrated Through Action-Based Learning

Abstract

Current societal trends are creating new opportunities for community organisationsincluding church groups and non-profit organisations-that specialise in the delivery of extra-curricular services to young people. This chapter discusses the case of a non-profit community organisation in Queensland that uses 'Values Integrated Through Action-based Learning' (VITAL), underpinned by a Judeo-Christian worldview, to help young people develop robust personal values. In particular, the chapter conducts a comparative analysis of the approaches used by this organisation and the developmental characteristics of young adolescents. It discusses key implications for educating and working with youth that pertain to enhancing: self-discipline, personal confidence, social skills and a lifelong love of learning. It concludes that savvy community organisations that commit to understanding and actively meeting youth needs in safe learning environments are well positioned to 'make a difference' to future generations of young people.

Learning and Loves Envisaged Through the Lens of James K. A. Smith: Reimagining Christian Education Today

“…In Part Four, "Contemporary Trends in Learning, Business, and Technology: Proactively Engaging Socio-Cultural Realities", the authors of Chapters 18-21 discuss ways that Christian education can articulate and interact with other sectors of society. Chapter 18 discusses the case of a non-profit community organisation in Queensland that used a valuesbased learning approach, underpinned by a Christian worldview, to help adolescents develop robust personal values (Dowden and Drager 2018). In Chapter 19, Jenkins (2018) explores the intersections between some important Biblical themes and mainstream business activities before going on to discuss implications for educators when engaging in business contexts.…”