Maria Cox community. YouthNow Rani Pillai Keysborough At YouthNow, Maria teaches Learning Centre educationally disadvantaged learners from Melbourne’s western suburbs. Many of these students have mental Rani arrived in Australia from India with health issues, suffer from drug her husband seven years ago. Although or alcohol addiction, have family issues or she had worked as a teacher at a are experiencing chronic unemployment. Polytechnic Maria successfully motivates and College in India, Rani was lonely and transforms the lives of these young feeling unsure of herself when she people who are unsure of their worth to approached Keysborough Learning the world. She recognises that they have Centre (KLC) to enquire about volunteer various preferred learning styles work. In order and she incorporates that into her to teach at the centre, Rani needed to teaching methods, using praise and undertake a variety of qualifications encouragement. For some learners even including: a Certificate IV in Teaching getting out of bed and coming to class is English to Speakers of Other Languages a major achievement and it is testament (TESOL); a Diploma in VET and a to the respect the students have for Maria Vocational Graduate Certificate in TESOL. that they continue to come back. By her own admission, Rani’s learning YouthNow provides a local solution for journey has been enormous. She remains many pre-sentence young people by committed to providing training that is both engaging them in learning or innovative and in the Learn employment. Maria Local environment. She has been works with these young men and women instrumental in introducing e-learning to help them prove to the courts that they into the classroom and her enthusiasm are committed to staying out of prison. for digital literacy provision has ensured Her work at YouthNow contributes to the KLC’s students have reaped the benefit. documented decrease in recidivism in the Rani is patient, well prepared and very western suburbs. Through her work, caring of Maria provides a safety all her students. She adapts her net for many young people, providing teaching style to suit individual students them with the support, education and and shows her empathy for the diversity attention they require to begin to make of their backgrounds and their reasons a positive contribution to the for seeking further education.
Maria Cox YouthNow At YouthNow, Maria teaches educationally disadvantaged learners from Melbourne’s western suburbs. Many of these students have mental health issues, suffer from drug or alcohol addiction, have family issues or are experiencing chronic unemployment. Maria successfully motivates and transforms the lives of these young people who are unsure of their worth to the world. She recognises that they have various preferred learning styles and she incorporates that into her teaching methods, using praise and encouragement. For some learners even getting out of bed and coming to class is a major achievement and it is testament to the respect the students have for Maria that they continue to come back. YouthNow provides a local solution for many pre-sentence young people by them in learning or employment. Maria works with these young men and women to help them prove to the courts that they are committed to staying out of prison. Her work at YouthNow contributes to the documented decrease in recidivism in the western suburbs. Through her work, Maria provides a safety net for many young people, providing them with the support, education and attention they require to begin to make a positive contribution to the community. Rani Pillai Keysborough Learning Centre Rani arrived in Australia from India with her husband seven years ago. Although she had worked as a teacher at a Polytechnic College in India, Rani was lonely and feeling unsure of herself when she approached Keysborough Learning Centre (KLC) to enquire about volunteer work. In order to teach at the centre, Rani needed to undertake a variety of qualifications including: a Certificate IV in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL); a Diploma in VET and a Vocational Graduate Certificate in TESOL. By her own admission, Rani’s learning journey has been enormous. She remains committed to providing training that is both innovative and engaging in the Learn Local environment. She has been instrumental in introducing e-learning into the classroom and her enthusiasm for digital literacy provision has ensured KLC’s students have reaped the benefit. Rani is patient, well prepared and very caring of all her students. She adapts her teaching style to suit individual students and shows her empathy for the diversity of their backgrounds and their reasons for seeking further education.