Day 1 – A Day of Discovery

Meeting the Community
Understanding the Customer Better and Challenges Context
Finding Potential Opportunities for Solutions
Selecting a Broad Opportunity to Focus On

The day opened with all Year 9 students being addressed by our Principal Mr Jeff Allen introducing the three days that lay ahead. Handing over to our facilitators Mr Paul Reid and Mike Fuller from Next Learning we quickly unpacked the challenges face our Year 9 students.

Our special guests who addressed the students included, City of Stirling Osborne Ward Councilor Mr Adam Spagnolo and Tania Pietracatella the Co-Chairman of the Main Street Co-Op.

Once the formalities were covered it was off to the streets to address the issues.

Team Roles

Students set off in teams as described below – not knowing what group they would form when they returned. Each group consisted of 1 member of each of the six groups. The media team (about 16 in number) were to cover the event for the cohort. camera, video, 360 degree videos and still, drone coverage, interviews, Social Media – the challenge of capture and edit lay ahead of this team. A challenge they successfully met over the three days.

Our Customers

During the community walk students were reminded that they must be interested in who their customers are and understand their challenges. It was not who the students think they are or what they think their challenges are. We were to be impartial – we were about to go to work for our customers below.

Students meet Mr Adam Spagnolo on the corner of Main and Hutton Street – Mr Spagnolo outlines a number of problems he sees the council facing.

Tania Pietracatella

Tania Pietracatella is a parent and a Co-Chairman of the Main Street Co-Op. She expresses her concerns that affect the community as a whole. Her insights are family focused and community based, she believes in improving for the good of all members of the community, not just for profits and money.

Lisa Thornton

Lisa Thornton is Writer and Academic who is active in the Main Street area. She presents her views as a resident of Main Street and a concerned citizen. She expresses her belief of Main Street’s potential to be as well-known as Beaufort Street and Oxford Street in Perth. She also mentions the lack of nature that is apparent in Main Street. 

Louis Anastasas

Louis Anastasas is a Pharmacist at the Main Street Coop. His main concern with the co-op is that it isn’t a safe area due to the excess traffic and high accident rate. He feels that he is doing well but not as good as he could due to his competition and the lack of safety in the area. He wants to develop his business through more advertising and making the area look better.

Chai Lim

Chai Lim is a librarian at the Osborne park public Library. His main concern with the library is the lack of visitors between the age range of 18-30. He feels the library has changed but it hasn’t changed drastically, and hasn’t added many things to intrigue guests. They are trying options such as adding DVD’s and hosting activities for all ages. He is hoping that our team and staff our able to help the library to become a better experience for all who visit it.

Nick Gianotti

Nick Gianotti is a local cafe owner who is concerned about the aura of main street. He expresses his opinion of Main Street having potential to grow and become a social and active community space.