Parkerville Children and Youth Care gala to fund healing gardens at WA first $50m school for traumatised youth
A specialized school could bring some light to the lives of traumatized children when it opens in July.
Parkerville Grove School, spearheaded by Parkerville Child and Youth Care, is a first in WA and will provide a haven for students who have abandoned the traditional education system due to the weight of their experiences.
The Parkerville Gala, a final funding boost, will be held at Fraser’s in Kings Park on March 27.
The theme of the event is poignantly The Wizard of Oz: There’s No Place Like Home – and funds raised will go towards creating therapeutic outdoor landscapes designed to promote healing.
“We are trying to create opportunities for these youth who never wanted to be harmed,” said Kim Brooklyn, CEO of Parkerville Child and Youth Care.
The $50 million school is home to students in grades 7-10 who have survived unimaginable situations, including sexual and physical abuse, homelessness, and the trauma of witnessing murder or domestic violence. It will serve first grade students.
It is planned to be extended to years 11 and 12.
Ms. Brooklyn said a standard classroom is a difficult environment for many of these children.
“Children who are going to go to school will have experienced various kinds of harm… We are not born equipped to deal with the kind of harm that these children experience,” he said.
“We create a therapeutic world for kids to be in, so they can actually manage their symptoms to enable them to learn.”
The need for the facility is also highlighted by the dire statistics faced by traumatized young people in Western Australia.
“They’re not going to school at the moment, they’re dropping out at pretty alarming rates, their lives are going really badly,” Ms Brooklyn said.
“These kids haven’t had the opportunity to learn how to live in this world in a way that makes them feel safe and secure. We want to give these young people the opportunities they don’t currently have.”
Although the school will provide 90 places, demand is already well above capacity. Market research in the local catchment area identified 400 young people in urgent need of these specialized services.
“We were stunned by the numbers,” Ms. Brooklyn said.
The success of the gala is supported by long-term partners Hancock Prospecting and Hancock Iron Ore and marks a decade of support for the organisation.
“Hancock supports Parkerville and the critically important work it does to help young people cope with the terrible traumas in their lives and become the best versions of themselves,” said Gina Rinehart, director of Hancock Prospecting.
“With good care, stability and education, traumatized young people can restart learning and develop the skills they need to find work and build independent, better lives.”
The income generated from the night will ensure that the school’s physical environment is suitable for its mission.
Tickets for this year’s gala are available for purchase Here.
