The Hester Hornbrook Academy

By Kirsten Butera

This week, I attended the Melbourne City Mission launch of the Hester Hornbrook Academy in South Melbourne. mpconsulting is a proud supporter of Melbourne City Mission, and I was keen to find out more about the work they are doing in the youth engagement space.

The Hester Hornbrook Academy is an independent school run by Melbourne City Mission. It provides both social and education supports to young people who are disengaged from the school system. It is only recently that the Academy has established a physical school premises, with the program previously being delivered through classrooms within secondary schools across Melbourne.

The thing that struck me most at the launch was how beautifully the students, teachers and youth workers spoke about a learning experience that is delivered in a supportive and flexible way, based around following your passions. It was such an inspiring morning and a great reminder of the possibilities that open up in life when you can tap into your strengths and curiosity to learn.