You ma
y have noticed that we have the words “belong, explore, grow” appear in much of our material these days. A couple of years ago, we decided that it would be good to clarify what we are striving to provide at the Kew Student Residence.
For many years, in referring back to our Rules of Association, we have articulated our desire to provide an affordable, supportive community. This has not changed. But we also wanted to express something of the how this community might function to nurture a certain kind of resident experience.
We decided that belong, explore, grow captured much of what we hope the experience to be. We want the Res to be a place in which each person belongs. On feeling that sense of security that comes with being “at home”, we hope that our residents would take some risks and explore their own thinking, values and beliefs. We hope that there will be a stepping out of one’s comfort zone to engage in new social interaction, to explore possibilities for service to the community and opportunities available to try new things while in Melbourne. Ultimately, we hope to contribute to the educative purpose of the move to Melbourne. We want out residents to grow in their knowledge and skills through attending university, but also more holistically. We would like each person to grow in character, as people who are caring, risk-takers, confident, wise and gracious. We want our residents to grow socially, learning to compromise and to live together well. We would like our residents to grow deeper in their commitments to God, the spiritual life and love for others.
In many small ways – and sometimes in big ways – we see these things actually happening. In other words, the aspiration to be a community in which people belong, explore and grow is not merely an aspiration, but a reality.
The front cover of a photobook created by our friends at Studio Constantine.