The race was on for our Year 7 students as they took part in this year’s Ignite program at Kolbe Catholic College! Now in its fourth year, Ignite continues to grow bigger, brighter and more exciting, giving students the opportunity to step out of the regular classroom and into a week of challenge, teamwork, creativity and real-world problem-solving.
This year’s theme, The Amazing Race, set the perfect tone for the week. From the energetic launch, where students were placed into committees based on shared interests, to the many challenges, workshops and project sessions that followed, students were encouraged to think quickly, work collaboratively and keep moving forward — just like contestants in the real race.
Ignite forms part of the Year 7 curriculum and challenges students to explore the question: “How can we increase… in our community?” Across the week, students investigated important community issues including food security, health, road safety, housing affordability, education, healthcare, water and shelter. Working in teams, they developed thoughtful and creative proposals aimed at making a meaningful difference.
A highlight of the week was hearing from Kolbe alumni Sam Kimberly and Stuart Moorhouse, former contestants on The Amazing Race Australia in 2022. Their stories of resilience, teamwork and courage helped students see that success often comes from being willing to take on challenges, adapt when things do not go to plan, and support the people around you.
Throughout Ignite, students participated in workshops designed to explicitly build their Capabilities skills, including creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, communication and group roles. When asked about his favourite part of Ignite, Ryan said it was “working as a team,” while Charlie shared that one important life lesson he will take away is “the importance of being resourceful.”
The week finished with the exciting Ignite Expo, where students proudly showcased their final projects to families, community members and a formal panel of judges, including the Rockingham Mayor and representatives from local services and businesses.
Our Year 7 students truly embraced their own Amazing Race this week. They solved problems, took risks, supported one another and crossed the finish line with confidence, pride and plenty of new skills for the journey ahead.
