On June 15th, 2023, the Science Gallery once again welcomed the University of Melbourne’s Department of Paediatrics and the Centre for Adolescent Health, to welcome our new students to our Adolescent Health and Wellbeing course, to celebrate our graduates, and meet with our colleagues.  

While at the gallery, we had the opportunity to explore the “Break the Binaries” exhibition. Installations from local and international artists presented a playful and kaleidoscopic view of identity and genders, and their relationship with science, technology, culture, race, sexuality and creativity. With collaboration at its heart, this exhibition created connections and conversation through personal perspectives, interdisciplinary creative practice and research at the University of Melbourne. 

A feature of the gallery, and this exhibition, is not just the art installations that provoke audiences to think differently, but the process by which they are curated. Those with lived experience work with scientists and artists to create each exhibit, and then University of Melbourne Student Mediators engage with visitors to engage with the artwork. This practice echoes the gallery’s principles of cross disciplinary understanding, crossing the research practice divide and the young people having an active role in mediation and translation. You can read more here: https://melbourne.sciencegallery.com/ 

The Centre for Adolescent Health has, for 28 years, been running a postgraduate program, through the University of Melbourne, focusing on building capability in the sector for Adolescent Health and Wellbeing. We have graduated over 750 students, all professionals who work with young people, such as doctors, nurses, teachers, and police. Much of the magic is in the cross disciplinary conversation, and the linking of research and practice.   

Of the 60-70 students engaged in the course each year, 10 students graduated this year, with either Masters, Graduate Diploma or Certificate, this year 37 new students have joined the course. At our celebration event, Professor Susan Sawyer interviewed two of our international graduates via Zoom to get their perspective on studying adolescent health. Both doctors from low- and middle-income countries, these graduates are pioneers, active in establishing adolescent health services in their own countries. The interview has been included below.

Additionally, we were lucky enough to have Julie Woods, from Victoria Police give an overview of her Adolescent Health Project that she completed in semester 1. The Adolescent Health Project is a single semester mentored project. It is self-directed and generally a workplace project. Julie, a police officer working in the west of Melbourne, designed and ran an adolescent health training day within her precinct to help more police officers gain an understanding of the importance of the adolescent age for their work with young people. It was such a success that she will now help implement two of these training days each year.   

Congratulations once again to our graduating students, and warmest welcome to our new students.  

Ms Kristina Bennett 
Subject Coordinator, Adolescent Health Project and Health Promotion and Young People.