Teacher Training 2025

Introduction to the Community of Inquiry Training

SEMESTER ONE - Saturday 5, Sunday 6 and Monday 7 July - Term 2 2025.

SEMESTER TWO - Sunday 26 October, Sunday 2 November and Sunday 9 November - Term 4, 2025.

Please sign up via this form.

The Introduction to Community of Inquiry is a course designed for educators who would like to implement Philosophy for Children into their practice. It is a powerful pedagogical approach that deepens student understanding of themselves, others, and the world around them. The course is open to all educators who want to develop, among other skills, their students' abilities in speaking, listening, critical thinking and ethical capabilities.

Over the three days you'll learn how to:

encourage philosophical questioning and dialogue
develop an understanding of conceptual thinking and concept tools
facilitate a Community of Inquiry in your classroom
develop the ability to turn almost any object into a thought provoking stimulus to engage in rich dialogue

FACILITATED BY OUR VAPS AND FAPSA CERTIFIED TEACHER EDUCATORS:

Bonnie Zuidland: Bonnie is a secondary teacher with over 19 years of experience in the classroom. She currently teaches philosophy at Ballarat HS. She has been a VAPS and FAPSA teacher trainer and curriculum developer for 10 years, with a focus on the Ethical Capabilities. She regularly presents at conferences on Community of Inquiry and issues surrounding P4C, philosophical dialogue and ethics in the classroom. She has taught Critical Thinking in the Curriculum at the University of Melbourne and a version of the Introduction to Community of Inquiry to teachers in Hong Kong.

Jill Howells: Jill is an educator with a long history in Philosophy for Children. She has over 20 years of teaching experience and played a foundation role at Brunswick East Primary School as the Assistant Principal in implementing a philosophical approach to learning through the curriculum. Brunswick East PS is a lighthouse school and as a consequence of Jill's work has been the go to school for other educators (including overseas visitors) to visit to see best practice. Jill has presented on P4C with an emphasis on the role of the teacher as facilitator at numerous conferences in both Australia and overseas. She has also coached and led Professional Learning sessions for teachers, in P4C.

Jake Muir: Jake is a teacher at Preston High School (on leave) where he was the Head of Philosophical Thinking, overseeing the implementation of the Community of Inquiry approach and embedding a Philosophical approach to teaching. he is also completing research at the University of Melbourne focusing on student agency.

Training takes place at a School Venue (TBC) for Days 1 & 2, and a public site selected by participants, typically the Melbourne Museum, NGV or ACMI for Day 3.

Type		Cost
2 day non-member		$700
2 day member		$500
2 day student non-member		$175
2 day student member		$125
3 day non-member		$850
3 day member		$700
3 day student non-member		$250
3 day student member		$200
2 day institution (more than 3 from the same school)		$400
3 day institution (more than 3 from the same school)		$500

Please sign up via this form.

Contact Bonnie Zuidland for further enquiries.

This FAPSA accredited workshop delivered by VAPS is endorsed by the UNESCO Chair on the Practice of Philosophy with Children, based at the Université de Nantes in France.

ADVANCED PRACTICE - Community of Inquiry

NOTE CHANGE OF DATE - Tuesday 30 Sept, Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2, October

This is for educators that have completed the Introduction to CoI Course and have been in the classroom implementing this practice and now want to enhance their capabilities, dig deeper in the theory and practice. It is a requirement that anyone wishing to go onto the FAPSA Teacher Educator Course MUST complete the Advanced Practice course (the Teacher Educator Course is set for January 12-16, 2026, in Sydney).

Costs and locations are in progress.

Please sign up via this form.

Contact Bonnie Zuidland for further enquiries.

VAPS Conference 2025