Student Placement Reflection
Published on 28 October 2024
Hello! My name is Daniel Rumanovsky, a Diploma of Youth Work student at RMIT University. This is my reflection on my time on placement at Monash Youth Services (MYS).
As I previously had completed 60 hours of placement elsewhere, I only had to complete a further 140 hours to meet the mandatory 200 hours of placement required. In this time, I participated in the facilitation of various programs, attended meetings, met with staff within the MYS team, and facilitated a team building exercise of my own.
The program I mainly was involved in was Quiksound, which is Monash Youth Service’s FReeZA program. FReeZA is a Victorian State Government funded development program that gives young people the opportunity to plan, organise and facilitate arts and cultural events in the community. I was lucky enough to start my time at Quiksound in the time when the group started planning for the Monash Youth Film Festival and got to participate right up to the facilitation of the event. It was great to see everyone’s input of such an awesome event and I consider this to be a great privilege that I was able to be a part of this project. In my time in Quiksound, I had the opportunity to facilitate things such as icebreakers and breakout groups within the program’s weekly meetings. I am so grateful to have been able to facilitate these and it was impressive to see how many great ideas the young people in Quiksound had that came to fruition. In my time at Quiksound, I also sat in on the cross-council FReeZA meetings (which consists of Monash, Boroondara, Whitehorse, and Knox City Council FReeZA groups), where the Eastern Battle of the Bands is being planned.
I was also given the opportunity to assist at MYzone and Activate. Monash Youth Services is one of few council youth services that provide services targeted to middle years. MYzone (for ages 8-13) and Activate (for ages 10-17) run relatively similarly; they both run on a planned weekly schedule on a term-by-term basis and highlight a key skill development each week. I enjoyed participating in this program, establishing rapport with young people by talking and joining in on activities, and helping wherever needed.
Another program I was able to sit on was Arcus, which is a social education program for young members of the LGBTQIA+ community aged 14-18 within the City of Monash. It was quite special participating in a group where the young people had only known each other for a few weeks but had built quite positive relationships with one another. I enjoyed getting to know the participants of the group and getting their input on social topics. Arcus runs on a planned weekly schedule, similarly to the MYzone and Activate, and highlights one key social topic to cover in the weekly meeting. What I took from Arcus is that the young people seemed to be quite comfortable in a group with similar interests and life experiences.
In my time at MYS, I was also given the opportunity to plan and facilitate my own team building exercise for the MYS staff. I planned and facilitated a card game named ‘Superfight’, which is a superhero game where others have to plead their case as to why their superhero should beat everyone else's and debate with others as to how they may fight and ultimately - win. As this team already knows each other, this game was appropriate. I would not have planned this activity for a group that did not know each other too well, as debating as an introduction may be a bit intimidating.
Finally, I was able to come in on a day in which a team meeting was occurring, something I had missed due to time clashes with classes. This was quite insightful, as I got to see how the whole team was able to come together and understand the breadth of the service, understanding everyone’s roles, responsibilities and how they work and how it contributes to fulfilling MYS’s commitments to the wellbeing of young people and the wider community.
Ultimately, I am very grateful for my time here at Monash Youth Services and I highly encourage other students to complete their placement within local government/council. I have been able to utilise and develop skills, as well as identify my room for improvement as a youth worker. The support of other members of the team has been greatly appreciated and truly has set a standard for me professionally. What I have learnt through hands on experience during my placements will set a solid foundation for my future youth work.