CHASE is an award-winning, volunteer-led charity that seeks to increase health education and engage in the community in underprivileged suburbs of Melbourne. CHASE’s youth-led mentoring program targets underprivileged populations, reaching VCE-VM students annually across Melbourne’s north and west. Currently, we work with two schools: Essendon Keilor College and St Albans Secondary College.

With your support, we have helped improve health literacy for over 1,600 disadvantaged secondary students and will continue to empower them to become future community leaders. 

Our program is conducted in two phases. First, CHASE volunteers run workshops where VCE-VM students are exposed to personal health and public health concepts. Second, students undertake projects designed to help solve self-identified health problems present in their local communities.

Our evidence-based programs draw on medical best practice. By empowering students, we empower their communities, reducing the risk of poor health outcomes and lowering the high rates of preventable and chronic disease.

With your help, CHASE can reach more students and equip them to overcome the health issues they will encounter in life. Your support strengthens our partnerships with local health professionals and community organisations, and ensures our volunteers and schools have everything they need to make a lasting difference. CHASE is more than a health literacy program; we help students discover new pathways into higher education and professional careers.