3 September 2019

Students from two of Melbourne’s Catholic schools have been named winners in the #ihaveyourback poster competition.

Students from across the state were invited to design a poster that focused on the values of ‘upstander behaviour’ to address bullying. The competition, supported by Catholic Education Melbourne, the Department of Education and Training, Independent Schools Victoria, the Melbourne Football Club and the Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Inc., promotes the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence. The winning posters will be distributed to Victorian Catholic schools in the coming weeks.

The awards were presented at the MCG by Tim Richardson MP and the Melbourne Football Club’s Max Gawn. Gabrielle from St Michael’s School, Ashburton, and Isabella from Genazzano FCJ College, Kew, were two of the winners.

‘I entered the #ihaveyourback poster competition because I wanted to share the importance of standing up for people’, said Gabrielle. ‘It’s everybody’s right to feel supported and that they are not alone. I am really happy that I got to make the poster because I got to explore my passion of using watercolours, and was able to show people how to have somebody else’s back and how to support people through challenging times.’

The National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence is a key initiative of the Australian Government’s Safe and Supportive School Communities Working Group, supported by the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria Ltd.