– [Shane] The Power of 9 program is a social and emotional
learning program which is unique to The Hutchins School.
It was developed here by the staff over about 10 years ago
and has been set up specifically to work well
in our local environment.
The Power of 9 program sees boys come away
from the main campus
and focus more on who they are and what they can do.
This is done by doing a range of different activities.
The students are given some great opportunities
to develop themselves as young men,
and we find through those experiences
is where we build really strong relationships.
The boys get a great understanding
of how they can contribute to the group
and their broader community.
Moving into Year 9,
boys get an opportunity to choose a specific challenge.
So the challenges we have on offer
are our Port Davey Challenge,
which sees boys walk the iconic south coast track
and sail on the Windward Bound
across the south coast of Tassie.
And we also offer the opportunity to journey
to the Tiwi Islands as part
of our Indigenous Australia Challenge to Tiwi.
We also go to Central Australia,
in and around Alice Springs and visit Uluru and learn all
about the traditional Aboriginal cultures of that area.
We’re also offering an opportunity to learn more
about our local Tasmanian Aboriginal culture
through a challenge based here in Tasmania.
There’s an opportunity to travel overseas
to Fiji with a global challenge.
One of the key aspects of the Power of 9
is character development.
That’s woven into everything we do,
but there also is a specific focus
on boys examining their own character strengths
and how they can use them
in the different activities we undertake.
As a staff member it’s a real privilege to work
on the Power of 9 program.
It’s obviously a pretty tough time being 14, 15 years old
trying to work it all out
and make your way on this journey of life.
But to spend some time with the boys
to develop relationships,
to see them grow in confidence and in understanding
of their abilities is such a joy to be a part of
and to go on that journey with them is a real pleasure.