By Ashleigh Fielding | posted on November 21, 2019
CREATING a literal “vehicle for change” was the task set to a group of Albany secondary students this year.
The aim was to spread the word about road safety as well as educate themselves about the dangers of combining driving with alcohol, drugs, texting and speeding.
As a result, two full-size cars were painted with a variety of graphics and words by North Albany Senior High School (NASHS) and Alta-1 College students and they are now on display for public viewing – one at Albany Marina and the other at Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre.
Palmerston Aboriginal Prevention Officer Thomas Dimer said the project had been a success.
“It’s really good to see other young people talking about the cars and what they are for and sharing the messages,” he said.
“It’s a different, colourful way to get road safety messages across and I think it’s very important for the rest of the community to see that our young people are aware of these issues.”
Artist Kiya Watt helped students paint the cars and said she was proud to have taken part.
“Working with the Indigenous girls at NASHS was something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” she said.
“Not only was the workshop about culture and empowerment, it was about road safety and drink driving, and the girls really took control and captured that message.
“Projects like these are more impactful than having them sit and listen for hours, so we let them tell us their stories and they painted the messages they wanted on the car, giving them that sense of ownership.”
