Agencies involved in the development of a program to support at-risk children has been awarded the National Child Protection Week Award for best Education Initiative.
The Multi-Agency Re-engagement Program, also known as MARA, was formed in 2017 in a joint effort from Department of Education, the Department of Child Safety Youth and Women, the Department of Youth Justice and the Queensland Police Service to provide a learning environment for young people who were disengaged from the traditional education system.
The program works to improve the futures of children in the North Brisbane area aged 10 to 15 and operates from the Zillmere PCYC to provide a safe space for kids to learn basic and new skills in a non-school environment.
The flexible learning program is structured in a way that students are assessed and pass milestones individually, while still providing them with qualifications accepted and recognised by other learning institutions.
Physical exercise plays a