Prospective Warnbro students get taste of St John Academy program

The St John Academy team was a crowd favourite at the Warnbro Community High School Open Day last Wednesday, giving visitors a hands-on look at how young people across Western Australia are learning life-saving skills and stepping up as community leaders.

Team members showed off their CPR skills and took the public on ambulance tours while encouraging future Warnbro students to get involved with the Academy in 2026.

The weekly St John Academy program develops secondary school students as community leaders equipping them with life-saving skills and a strong foundation for future healthcare careers.

While the program in Warnbro is for the school’s students only, St John has Academy divisions across Western Australia including Rockingham and Morley.

Iain Hamilton, teacher and careers practitioner at Warnbro Community High School, runs the program on behalf of St John and is a passionate volunteer.

“I love seeing all the young people grow – their confidence, their interaction and the ability to talk to each other,” he said.

“We have team members here who wouldn’t normally interact at school but when we have our division nights, they are working together as a team.”

The skills they learn, like first aid and leadership, set the young participants up for life.

“Young people should get involved with the St John Academy because the skills we’re teaching them here are transferable,” Iain added.

“There are pathways into medical fields if that’s something they want to pursue outside of school too.”

Students like Alby have had a chance to make new friends and receive inspiring, real-world insight into careers like paramedicine.

“Every week we learn different life-saving skills,” he said.

“My favourite thing about Academy is doing CPR and different scenarios with the dummies. When I finish school I’ll volunteer as a paramedic.”

St John WA ensures the Academy remains accessible for families by keeping costs low and includes uniform and learning materials in the fee.

This means St John WA, a not-for-profit, is always looking to partner with organisations to ensure cost is not a barrier for young people to participate in the program.

Enrolments for the St John Academy for 2026 are now open.

Register your interest today.