Students from Tamborine Mountain State High School once again teamed up with Tamborine Mountain Community Care Association on May 8 for a collaborative photography project called ‘Voices of Wisdom’, connecting generations through storytelling and portraiture.
The latest project builds on last year’s “Living Libraries” initiative, where students interviewed senior residents about their life stories, achievements, challenges and treasured memorabilia.
Teachers Alison Wynter and Colette Weeden said the partnership had continued to grow, giving students valuable real-world learning opportunities while strengthening community connections.
“Voices of Wisdom was inspired by a desire to bring generations together in our community,” Mrs Wynter said.
“We wanted our students to develop their skills through an authentic project that made a difference in our community.”
Mrs Wynter said the collaboration began after discussions with Tamborine Mountain Community Care Association program coordinator Patricia Arora last year and had become an initiative the school hoped to continue each year.
“We know some of our students don’t have grandparents nearby and it’s important for generations to come together and share stories,” she said.
Mrs Weeden said senior members of the community brought valuable experiences and perspectives to the project.
“Senior citizens bring an invaluable wealth of life experience, particularly through their rich employment and career histories, and it is both meaningful and rewarding to celebrate and capture these personal stories,” she said.
As part of the program, students also visited the Tamborine Mountain Botanic Gardens, photographing sculptures, wildlife and natural landscapes while developing practical camera skills.
Mrs Weeden said students experimented with lighting and camera settings including aperture, shutter speed and ISO to produce professional-quality images.
“The photography program provides authentic and accessible real-world opportunities for students to experiment with the exposure triangle,” she said.
Mrs Wynter said the project encouraged students to develop more than technical skills.
“Our students gain far more than just technical photography skills from this project,” she said.
“They gain confidence, communication skills, empathy and a sense of what it means to be a professional, by working with real people in a real-world setting.”
