VCE - Vocational Major

VCE Vocational Major – Year 12 Zoo Excursion

Our year 12 VCE Vocational Major students recently took part in an excursion to the Melbourne Zoo as part of their Personal Development Skills program. The day was filled with valuable learning experiences both inside and outside the classroom.

The journey itself provided challenges, with students navigating three train lines and a bus trip each way. These travel hurdles offered authentic opportunities for problem-solving, teamwork and resilience – core skills the VCE VM program is designed to foster.

Once at the Zoo, students participated in a specialised educational program focusing on Zoos Victoria’s Marine Response Unit. This program explored how the team responds to marine and freshwater wildlife in distress and introduced students to the strategies Zoos Victoria uses to engage the community in their conservation projects.

Working alongside a Zoo Teacher, students collaborated to design a conservation project plan. This process required them to identify roles, share responsibilities, and consider how their project could make a meaningful impact back in their school and local community.

Through the program, students learned to:

• Apply Zoos Victoria’s Connect–Understand–Act tool in designing their own community conservation projects.

• Discuss the environmental issue of litter pollution and its harmful impact on wildlife.

• Take responsibility for the planning and delivery of a project with shared goals.

These skills directly connect with the Year 12 VM Personal Development focus at Berwick, where students are currently working on initiatives to reduce litter in and around our school grounds. By combining classroom learning with real-world experiences, the VCE VM program empowers our students to be active citizens who create awareness and drive positive change for their community and environment.

Brent Hobba

Vocational Major Leader