Victorian Challenge and Enrichment Series Grant 

Philosophy in Public Spaces (PIPS) & Philosophy in Classroom Spaces (PICS)

SUBSIDISED PROGRAMS OFFERED IN 2026 for state school students, years f-10.

Click here to sign up for more information or to sign up your school

VAPS is excited to announce that we have secured a Victorian Challenge and Enrichment Series (VCES) Grant from DET. This will allow us to offer sponsored PIPS and PICS programs in 2026. These programs will be free for state school students who attend up to Year 10. 

The programs are designed to engage and challenge high-ability students in Victorian schools by fostering critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative dialogue, and are fully aligned with the Victorian Curriculum F–10. 

TO SEE DATES AND VENUES CLICK HERE

Alignment with Victorian Curriculum

The programs deliberately integrate multiple learning areas and capabilities from the Victorian Curriculum, with a particular focus on critical and creative thinking. Students will develop their thinking skills through structured philosophical dialogue, addressing the Critical and Creative Thinking and Personal and Social Capability areas. The programs actively support the Speaking and Listening strand of the English curriculum by encouraging students to articulate, justify, and refine their ideas through reasoned discussion. Depending on the selected stimulus—ranging from exhibits at Melbourne Museum to artworks at NGV or themes related to Zoos Victoria—the programs incorporate content from the Humanities, Science, and the Arts, providing interdisciplinary enrichment aligned with students’ inquiries.

Catering to High-Ability Students

High-ability students will be challenged through a two-stage thinking process: first, they engage in individual reflection on carefully curated, intellectually sophisticated, and varied philosophical stimuli. These stimuli prompt high-level, abstract, and ethical thinking, inviting students to grapple with open-ended, complex questions without predetermined answers. Second, students participate in facilitated dialogue to collaboratively explore these questions with peers of similar academic ability from multiple schools. The conversations are student-led rather than facilitator-driven, ensuring students exercise autonomy to steer the discussion toward their own lines of inquiry. This approach nurtures deep cognitive engagement, metacognition, and advanced reasoning skills, aligned with the expectations for enrichment and extension in the Victorian Curriculum for high-ability learners.

Promoting Interaction and Connection

The programs emphasise multi-school groupings to bring together diverse students from various socio-cultural and educational backgrounds, fostering a rich environment for exchanging ideas and perspectives. This diversity promotes not only cognitive challenge but also empathy and social understanding, which underpin the Intercultural Capability of the Victorian Curriculum. By engaging in dialogue rather than debate, students cultivate respect and openness to differing viewpoints, strengthening social bonds and collaborative problem-solving. Regular facilitated sessions build ongoing relationships, enabling students to refine their thinking collectively over time. Partnerships with Victorian agencies such as Museums Victoria, NGV, and Zoos Victoria ensure that discussions remain relevant and connected to real-world contexts, increasing motivation and meaningful engagement.

In summary, the programs offer a high-calibre, interdisciplinary platform that rigorously challenges high-ability students, develops essential curriculum capabilities, and fosters meaningful interaction and connection between learners, addressing key priorities of the Victorian Curriculum F–10.

Click here to sign up for more information or to sign up your school

TO SEE DATES AND VENUES CLICK HERE

VAPS thanks the Victorian Government and the Victorian Challenge & Enrichment Series for funding support for this program in 2026.