A NEW YMCA vocational school designed for disengaged students is set to open at Victoria Point in August and will double as a community centre for the general public to use outside of class hours.
The school will cater for students in grades 10 to 12 who have become disengaged from mainstream education for a variety of reasons, including drug and alcohol dependence or mental health disorders.
It will be the sixth YMCA vocational campus in Queensland but the first of its kind in the Redlands.
About $7 million has been injected into the project using state and federal government funding, along with money from the YMCA, according to head of campus Shane Williams.
The school's focus will be on the journey to employment, with a range of mainstream subjects to be offered along with art therapy, counselling, social and emotional development and exercise classes.
Mr Williams said the 20 staff that were estimated to be working at the school by the time it opened would be tasked with shaping the whole student.
"There will be a really big focus on student wellbeing," he said.
"We have got youth workers, counsellors, senior youth workers, case workers, support workers as well as our teachers that will support the whole student.
"It is pretty much a normal school but flexible in a way that we can personalise everything that we do."
The campus will cater for up to 100 students.
Mr Williams said research had been done in the planning stages to increase engagement, innovation and support for students.
"Each classroom will have four separate learning spaces with students able to engage in their learning either at a desk, on a bean bag or standing up at a tall table," he said.
"The school also has a teaching cafe, where the YMCA breakfast program will be delivered from ensuring our students are fed and prepared for the day."
Mr Williams said students would use the same facility to improve their hospitality skills while engaging with the community.
He said YMCA had plans to expand the campus in future and cater for students in grades 7 to 9.
The school building will be available to the community outside of class hours, giving dance groups and other local organisations the chance to hire the space.
The campus is situated behind the YMCA fitness centre at 128 Link Road, Victoria Point.
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