Darwin locals are showing their true colours in a quilt-making project, which will be donated to a disability college in Queensland when completed.
The quilt, which is being made in the colours of the Aboriginal flag, is being made for NAIDOC Week by students from the STEPS Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) program.
The course teaches literacy and numeracy skills to help people find work or go into further study, and STEPS Palmerston Business Manager Yvonne Coleman said students love learning through contextualised training activities.
“The class love sewing and we knew with a big project like a quilt there’s a lot of calculations and measurements,” she said.
“We told them about STEPS Pathways College and the group decided that would be where they wanted the quilt to go,” she said.
STEPS Pathways College is based on the Sunshine Coast and is the first program of its kind in Australia, giving young adults with a disability the opportunity to learn skills to live independently.
SEE student Bevan Dickenson said the NAIDOC Week project helped him to share his Indigenous heritage with the multicultural class.
“NAIDOC Week is about keeping Indigenous culture strong and sharing stories with friends,” he said.
Classmate Maria Stephens said the group decided to donate the quilt to show their gratitude to STEPS.
“We all love coming here to learn and feel the kindness of STEPS. We’re also really proud of what STEPS does to help people with a disability,” she said.
SEE trainer Mark Roscoe said finding a balance between the curriculum and projects the students enjoy brings out the best in the group.
“They love problem solving and working with each other in a team. I am very proud to see how much their confidence has grown,” he said.
The Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment.
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