Growing Learners
Our Growing Learners program assists parents and their young children to learn together through play, and at the same time, assists parents to develop career pathways.
Growing Learners uses the successful 2Generation approach to assist parents to boost their financial stability through employment and education, while supporting children aged three and younger to get on with other children, learn and prepare for school.
Children and parents take part in fun, group play sessions, held twice a week and led by a qualified facilitator. The sessions provide a high-quality early learning curriculum for children, build parents’ capacity to be their child’s first and most important teacher, and encourage social connections among the families that take part.
Meanwhile parents receive individual support to develop career pathways through employment, education, training and volunteer work. Read about Alison and Angela’s experience of Growing Learners.
Where
Growing Learners is based at three locations: in Melbourne’s outer north, at Mernda and Craigieburn, and in Fitzroy, near Melbourne’s CBD.
When
- Group play sessions are held twice a week at the locations below.
- Career support for parents is developed to suit each individual.
Who is eligible
- Children aged three years and younger
- Parents who would like support to develop their child’s early learning and their own career pathways.
Contact Us
Mernda
48 Breadalbane Avenue,
Mernda
2GenMernda(at)bsl.org.au
Phone: 8724 0104 or 0488 600 190
Craigieburn
120 Hothlyn Drive,
Craigieburn
2GenCraigieburn(at)bsl.org.au
Phone: 8339 6500 or 0406 384 151
Fitzroy
Connie Benn Centre,
160 Brunswick St,
Fitzroy
2GenFitzroy(at)bsl.org.au
Phone: 9426 1574 or 0437 514 140
About the 2Generation approach
The 2Generation approach is based on extensive research on the effectiveness of specialised support for children between birth and starting school, and their families, for improving both children’s later school achievements and parents’ career achievements. The Brotherhood of St Laurence is piloting the 2Generation approach in Australia.
Peep Learning Together Program
The core content for our Growing Learners’ parent-child group sessions is the Peep Learning Together Program from Great Britain, for which the Brotherhood of St Laurence has acquired the licence. Practitioners can find out about being trained to offer the Peep Learning Together Program at the Brotherhood’s PeepLTP Training webpage.
