It's a no-brainer as to why St Johns College's Step Up program has made annual donations to an organisation which protects victims of domestic violence.
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"Respectful relationships" is one of the main messages of the program which is turning boys into leaders.
"A huge part of what we teach the boys is about respectful relationships with women," teacher's aide and program facilitator David Heywood said.
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"We feel donating to Orana Support Service directly relates to them helping women in our community and reinforces the message we teach."
Mr Heywood said the boys understood that their fundraising was making a difference in the community.
"We believe this is a huge part of the success of our program and helping them become better men," he said.
Year 7 boys who have the potential to improve their behaviour are selected to take part in the program from which they graduate in Year 8.
The program's first cohort in 2018/2019 raised $3600 for Orana Support Service through their "rite of passage" to being "better men", a three-day and 44.3- kilometre trek from Katoomba to the Jenolan Caves.
"The boys raised this money through asking family and friends, people and businesses in the community to sponsor them in walking the Six Foot Track," Mr Heywood said.
But, he said, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the ability of the 2019/2020 cohort to follow suit.
"In 2019/2020 we raised $800," Mr Heywood said.
"Due to COVID we were unable to go on our big trek on the Six Foot Track and therefore didn't chase sponsorship as we only did a day trip to the Warrumbungles.
"We instead donated the money we had raised over the year through selling bacon and egg rolls which would normally be used to lower the cost of the trek for the boys."
The money was presented to a representative of Orana Support Service at Friday's graduation ceremony of the 2019/2020 cohort.
Step Up is run by the college's arts coordinator Kirk Watts, Mr Heywood and PE teacher Kyper Yap.
Mr Heywood said college data showed the 2019 graduates, now in Year 9, "are not getting in trouble around the classes anymore".