Dr Rachel Carling is the new CEO of Right to Life NSW, starting in July this year just before the decriminalisation of abortion was announced. Prior to this, Dr Rachel lived in Victoria where she was a member of Parliament in the upper house. She has a PhD in Social Work and Social Policy and worked extensively in the welfare field before being called into pro-life politics.
Join us for our annual service project abroad to a developing country. Our destination this year is the vibrant city of CEBU is Central Visayas, Philippines, the cradle of the Christianity in the Philippines.
Implementing the project of Reledev Australia (https://reledev.org.au), Creston College has partnered with Foundation for Professional Training, Inc (https://fptiphilippines.org) through Banilad Center for Professional Development (BCPD), an FPTI centre that prepares young women for employment or entrepreneurship through training skills and work ethics imbued with solid Christian values, helping lift them and their families from poverty.
Location: Cebu, Philippines
Conditions: Urbanised poverty
The province of Cebu consists of a main island and 167 surrounding islands and islets. Its capital is Cebu City, the Queen City of the South, the oldest city and first capital of the Philippines. Cebu is one of the most developed provinces in the Philippines with Metro Cebu being the second largest metropolitan area in the Philippines (after Metro Manila) and Cebu City as the main center of commerce, trade, education and industry in the Visayas. In a decade it has transformed into a global hub for business processing services, tourism, shipping, furniture-making, and heavy industry.
Although Cebu is a thriving metropolis, in a 2015 study, heavily urbanized cities’ poverty incidences were lumped with provinces. The whole of Cebu had a poverty incidence of 21.4%. Assuming Cebu City had a poverty incidence of 10%, the province would have a poverty incidence of 24.3%. The provincial poverty rate is more than double the city’s poverty rate.
The Project
Our service projects always consists of a development and educational component. We are still in negotiation with our Cebu partners to cater precisely to the needs of the villages we will be helping. Below are possible projects:
DATES
22 January – 9 February 2020 – to and from Sydney.
COST
$2200 Includes flights, full R&B and all transport. PLUS $350 fundraising target for project materials.
DONATIONS FOR THE PROJECT are Tax-deductible:
To make a tax deductible donation to aid the development project costs for the Philippines Service Project 2020, please donate directly to Reledev Australia Limited.
Reledev Australia Limited
BSB: 032 087
Account No: 207464
Description: Name of donor – ‘Philippines Service Project 2020’
To obtain a tax receipt, please provide your full name and email address to email@reledev.org.au
Dr. Angelica Merlot is a passionate cancer researcher who was recently awarded NSW Young Woman of the Year and the Tall Poppy Science Award. Following her B.Med.Sci. (Hons I) Degree, she undertook a PhD in Medicine at the University of Sydney, that focused on the development of new medicines to selectively target cancer cells. She now heads a team of researchers, known as the Cancer Targets and Therapeutics Team, at the University of NSW and Children’s Cancer Institute, after obtaining a tenure-track position as a Scientia, NHMRC Peter Doherty and CINSW Early Career Research Fellow. Angelica is a member of the Gender Equity Medicine Working Group at the University of NSW and hopes to empower women and promote equity.
Dr. Patricia Grant is a member of the Management Team of Kenvale College of Hospitality, Cookery and Events. She is responsible for a number of departments that relate directly to the student life cycle including Academic, Compliance and Quality, and Industry Liaison, as well as developing a research culture amongst staff. Her research interests include business ethics, sustainability and spirituality in the workplace.
She is an experienced lecturer with a demonstrated history of working in the tertiary education sector. Skilled in Mobile Learning, Intercultural Communication, Sustainable Development Education, Analytical Skills, and Coaching. Trish is a strong education professional with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) focused in Virtue Ethics and Corporate Governance from University of Waikato. She is an alumna of UNSW where she studied Law and Commerce.
Did you ever think about the fact that only humans have hands? It may seem obvious, but it’s not. In the world of nature, we humans are uniquely vulnerable: wings, paws or flippers get you around a lot faster and farther; fur and feathers provide protection from the elements; refined senses, instincts, and defense mechanisms automatically kick in to ward off dangers and detect opportunities for growth.
But our vulnerability is at the same time our strength.
With our hands, we can build wings to fly.
With our hands, we can design our own habitat and weave our own wear.
With our hands, we can provide care, establish relations, protect ourselves and others.
Our hands are instruments open to infinite possibilities.
With our hands, we humanize the world.
Our basic needs become arts and professions: Medicine, Gastronomy, Architecture, Fashion, Communication, Education, Domestic Work, Design;
Our interdependence creates employment opportunities: Commerce, Health Care, Politics, Law, Economy, Business, International Affairs;
Our openness to infinite possibilities drives work forward: Technology, Entertainment, Innovation, Research, Creativity.
With our hands, we work. But have we always worked in the same way? Today the world of work is undergoing arguably the most drastic transformation since the Industrial Revolution in the 19th Century. Information technology, shifting social demographics and globalization are some of the factors that are shaping the ambiguous future of work, in which one-track careers are being replaced by multi-faceted professional trajectories, and personal capacities and aptitudes such as critical thinking, resilience, problem-solving and decision-making are increasingly valued over technical know-how.
The world of work in the 21st century is full of challenges: vast geographic and social inequalities, corruption, inefficient structures, forced labor, unrecognized and uncompensated work, human trafficking, unregulated activity in emerging sectors and high levels of youth unemployment…
So let’s get down to business. The 21st century professional is serious, dedicated, diligent, creative, transformational, focused, capable of persevering in an integrated cognitive and physical effort. What kind of personal development does a professional in today’s workforce need in order to convert needs into opportunities and vulnerabilities into strengths? How does one´s profession become an authentic service to society and the individuals who surround us? What can your hands do that a robotic arm cannot? What can you contribute that lies beyond the scope of artificial intelligence? The challenges are many… but our hands are open to infinite possibilities
5:30 pm, Friday 26 October. It was hectic at the college – preparations for the End of Semester Formal Dinner…when we received this jubilant SMS from ‘Nobie’ (that’s Gia-Yen’s nickname at Creston)…”I won!!!”
Gia-Yen Loung was a resident at Creston College from 2012 until she finished her Law/Science degree in 2016. At the ice-breaker activity of 0-week 2012, she introduced herself saying. “I’m Gia-Yen, from Adelaide. One day, I will win the Nobel Prize!” Well, she won the nickname ‘Nobie’ then, and it seems just a matter of time for the Nobel Prize now that she has won the Rhodes Scholarship!
During the formalities of the End of Semester celebrations, we all raised our glasses to congratulate Nobie on a splendid achievement!
Read more: UNSW Law provides sixth Rhodes Scholar in six years
Katrina Alvir BA BEd(Hons) DipPsychKatrina Alvir has taught and mentored high school girls and their parents for over 18 years in Australia and abroad. She studied a Bachelor of Arts in English and History and a Postgraduate Bachelor of Teaching with Honours. She has recently completed a Diploma of Positive Psychology in Melbourne. As a trained teacher and mentor Katrina has extensive experience in working directly with adolescent girls in schools, as well as working closely with their parents. Katrina is passionate about supporting parents in one of their most challenging and important roles – guiding their daughters through their adolescent years.
Her current project is REAL (Real Excellence & Attitude for Life) – a character and virtues program she is creating and implementing at Tangara School for Girls. This program is for girls in years 7-10. Katrina is incorporating the science of character and strengths research, positive psychology interventions and the research in neuroscience and brain plasticity into the REAL program. She hopes to promote a more engaging and compelling case for young people to live a life of virtue, grow in character and ultimately live happier lives.
Katrina is also a workshop facilitator for All.u.re. All.u.re is an educational organisation run by a group of young women based in Sydney and Melbourne. All.u.re aims to help girls value thhttp://all.u.re/emselves from the inside out, by running highly interactive workshops in areas such as holistic beauty, genuine friendship, social media and identity. Katrina sees fashion as a means of self-expression and believes in promoting a healthy appreciation, rather than obsession, with beauty.
Katrina has presented to girls, parents, mentors and educators in Sydney, Melbourne and internationally.
Join us for our annual service project abroad to a developing country. Our destination this year is the beautiful island of Bohol is Central Visayas, Philippines.
This will be our third consecutive project to the village of Villalimpia, and we are making progress in our aim to alleviate poverty and improve their standard of living. Implementing the project of Reledev Australia (https://reledev.org.au), Creston College has partnered with Foundation for Professional Training, Inc (https://fptiphilippines.org) and Banilad Center for Professional Development (BCPD).
Location: Barangay Villalimpia, Loay Bohol, Philippines
Conditions
Loay is a 5th municipal income class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines located at the mouth of the Loboc River. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 16,691.
In 2013, the island of Bohol was the epicentre of a 7.2 magnitude earthquake almost 300 dead, followed in 3 months by the devastation of super typhoon Haiyan.
In 2015, 1 in 4 families in Bohol live under the poverty line.
The Project
2017
2018
What we aim to do in 2019
DATES
24 January – 9 February 2019 – to and from Sydney. Includes overnights stays in Manila each way.
COST
$2100 Includes flights, full R&B and all transport. PLUS $350 fundraising for project materials.
DONATIONS FOR THE PROJECT are Tax-deductible:
Reledev Australia Limited
Westpac, BSB 032 157
Acct. no. 18 1520
IMPORTANT Please email serviceprojects@crestoncollege.edu.au the details of your donation.
Kayla Amos, a proud resident of Creston College, is a multi-disciplinary artist currently in her third year of studying Fine Arts with Honours at UNSW.
Artwork Details
Kayla Amos
Expand Beyond (2018)
Plexi-glass, two-way acrylic mirror, acrylic glass paint, wood, glue, lighting equipment
165.5 cm x 23.5 cm x 29.5 cm
Artist Statement
Stemming from the notion of expanding from traditional methods of painting, Expand Beyond, breaks from traditional paint on canvas to explore the possibilities of painting in the modern era.
Precisely about painting itself, the work questions what painting can be while holding roots to some of the fundamental elements of painting, namely colour and luminosity, presented though a different lens.
Expand Beyond, specifically focuses on the traditional technique of glazing in which the painter applies a thin layer of colour onto the canvas surface to build an image. This glazing technique creates a luminosity that cannot be achieved by any other means.
Drawing from this technique, Expand Beyondconsists of plexi-glass panels that each have a glazed layer of colour corresponding to the colour wheel and hinting at colour theory, the history of colour and the continued evolution of its use within painting.
Playing with perception and the viewers awareness, I have also incorporated see-through double-sided mirrors within the work. These mirrors play with and interrupt what should be seen and what is seen, varying views from your own reflection to the full transparent layering of colour.
As an installation piece, the colours the viewer perceives changes as they move and interact with the work. The light projecting through the panels extends the colour beyond the physical work itself to incorporate the space. The light also blending the projected colours and again hinting at the use of the colour wheel and processes of painting.
From The Artist
For me, Expand Beyond, has been very experimental and a challenge to push myself beyond my comfort zone and what I have previously done. Personally, the work speaks of having the courage to step beyond your current self to pursue what is only dreamt of and what lies in the unknown realm. My hope is the work will be an encouragement to continue until that dream becomes reality, and when you finally see it lit up, it will be more beautiful and will expand beyond what you ever imagined.
For commissions or to say hello feel free to contact Kayla via: kayla.amos.art@gmail.com
Also check out Kayla’s Instagram for updates on her current work @kaylaamosartist
