Katanning Men’s Shed partnership with Alta-1 bridges generational divide

Saws, sanders and screwdrivers. These might not be the first things to come to mind when thinking about high school students, particularly those at risk of falling through the cracks in the State’s mainstream education system. Yet it is in this workshop environment that Katanning’s Alta-1 students are thriving, as part of their non-traditional learning experience. Students from alternative education institution are now regular attendees at the Katanning Men’s Shed off Bokarup Street in a partnership which is more than just a learning exchange. Men’s Shed life member Geoff Flack said it came about in part due to the shed hosting two young community members with intellectual disabilities. About three Alta-1 students go to the Men’s Shed every week, and spend a term working with the group before usually being rotated. When asked how the students change during their time in the shed, he said they were usually reserved at first. “They become more open after about three to four visits,” he said. Each new group of students is asked to come up with a project, which they eventually take home at no cost. “With the last group of students, one of them made a make-up stand, while one of the original students made a potting stand,” he said. “Another has worked on a two-seater chair.” Once students decide what they want to create, their project becomes a joint effort. A Men’s Shed member will cut the wood, usually pieces repurposed from disused pine pellets, and sand it before the students are left to assemble their creation. “We show them what to do, but they are the ones who have to do it,” Mr Flack said. While the students work on a big project during the term, there is nothing stopping them from also completing smaller tasks. When the Herald visited the Katanning Men’s Shed earlier this month, the Alta-1 students were helping make wooden pens. Each of them took turns using the carving tools and applying a wax coating. Mr Flack said he believed there was a range of benefits for the students in coming to the Men’s Shed. “It gets them out of school and gives them experience working in a different environment,” he said. “It gives them career training — when they become apprentices, they are in the big wide world and it’s a scary place. “Hopefully, it might change a few aspects of what they think about older people.” When asked what he enjoyed most about coming to the Men’s Shed, Alta-1 student Braxton, 14, said “We get to work with our elders and make good memories with them”. Another student, 12-year-old Trinity, said she valued the practical experience and the connection with the Men’s Shed members. “It gives us a chance to make good memories and get familiar with the machinery in case we work with it,” she said. The connections between the young students and the young at heart are not just related to work projects. Before starting their work, both groups share morning tea, exchanging a joke or two while they are at it. “There is always a bit of banter,” Men’s Shed member Pete Anyon said. Alta-1 education assistant Chloe Hart said the partnership gave the students a connection to the community and a creative outlet. “They sit and have a cuppa with the men and even our most anxious students put themselves out there to talk with people that they wouldn’t have usually talked to before,” Ms Hart said. “Some of the changes that we have seen is students taking themselves out of their comfort zone to be able to participate, It has also been a great opportunity to provide an outlet for the students’ social and emotional skills outside of their own social groups. “It has helped some students understand how learning at school can be applied to real life situations.” Mr Flack said the education was a two-way process. “It is a learning curve,” he said. “It is a challenge to get through to them and it is a challenge for them to understand us. “Compared to our own grandchildren, we have got to treat them very differently. Teaching them how to use the lathe can be difficult.” The Katanning Men’s Shed wants to continue the program with Alta-1, but they need more locals to come on board and join their group amid a membership decline. “We have lost guys who have unfortunately passed away or have otherwise been unable to continue,” Katanning Men’s Shed president Ross Thomas said. “Even if they just come down to see how they go, we are always happy to welcome new people.” The Men’s Shed will be holding an open day on November 26. For more information, call Mr Thomas on 0457 965 839.