Beyond the Classroom: A Term of Opportunity at Heathmont College

Discover. Explore. Connect.

When we talk about enrichment at Heathmont College, it can be tempting to think about excursions, competitions or special programs that sit outside the everyday work of school.

But enrichment is much bigger than that.

It is about creating opportunities for students to discover new interests, experience genuine challenge, apply their learning in different settings and sometimes uncover strengths they didn't know they had.

Term 3 has provided some fantastic examples of what that can look like.

Our students have designed social enterprises, trained as baristas, built a Bush Tukka garden and investigated forensic science. They have worked with external organisations, developed practical workplace skills, tackled real-world problems and represented Heathmont beyond the College.

And while the programs themselves have been incredibly diverse, they have something important in common: students have been given the opportunity to do something authentic with their learning.

From Ideas to Impact

One of the standout experiences of the term was the Young Change Agents Impact Boss program, which saw 21 Year 8 and 9 students participate in an intensive two-day, hackathon-style experience.

Working in teams, students identified real problems affecting their school, community and wider world before using the design thinking process to develop social enterprise solutions. Their ideas tackled issues ranging from the rising cost of school uniforms and access to safe spaces for young people, to sustainable hygiene products and even ways of supporting firefighters in difficult terrain.

Across two days, students moved from identifying a problem to understanding their customer, developing and validating ideas, prototyping solutions and ultimately pitching them.

The experience did not end with the workshop.

Two teams, Youth Space and Ready, Set, Swap, were selected to represent the College at the Victorian Challenge & Enrichment Series (VCES) Virtual State Showcase, where they competed alongside 20 other teams from Victorian schools for a share of $3,000 in seed funding to help turn their social enterprise ideas into reality.

We are incredibly proud to announce that Ready, Set, Swap! was selected as one of the winning teams, receiving $1,000 in seed funding to bring their idea to life.

Congratulations to all 21 students who participated in Impact Boss, and particularly to our Youth Space and Ready, Set, Swap! teams for representing Heathmont College at the State Showcase.

What’s Next?

For Ready, Set, Swap!, the challenge now moves from idea to action. We look forward to seeing what the team does next as they use their $1,000 in seed funding to begin making their social enterprise a reality.

Students who participated in Impact Boss, or other young people interested in continuing to develop their own ideas, can also access a range of further opportunities through Young Change Agents. Their Explore Your Next Move resources provide pathways for young people who want to keep developing their ideas, build their skills and take the next step with their social enterprise.

Find out more: https://youngchangeagents.com/explore-your-next-move/

Learning Behind the Coffee Machine

Meanwhile, something very different was brewing back at school.

Project Barista began with six Year 10 students learning the basics of operating a coffee machine. Ten weeks later, those students were confidently serving Heathmont College staff through their own café experience.

Students completed food safety accreditation, learnt espresso extraction and milk texturing, and rotated through the roles required to make café service work, including barista, cashier, floor supervisor and runner.

As their skills developed, so did their responsibilities. Students progressed from training to making coffees for staff, then through a series of live service experiences before culminating in an open café at the end of the program.

But Project Barista was never really just about coffee. Students were developing communication, teamwork, organisation, customer service and problem-solving while experiencing genuine workplace expectations and responsibilities.

The students themselves perhaps said it best.

Maya reflected on the confidence she gained through the experience:

“The course was not only helpful for improving my coffee-making skills, but it also helped build my confidence. I really enjoyed the experience and feel like I learnt skills that I can use in the future, especially in a workplace.” - Maya

For Adelita, the opportunity to experience the different roles within the café was a highlight:

“I really enjoyed my time at Coffee Collective and learned a lot about working in a café. I worked as a runner, cashier and barista. I took orders, prepared drinks, served teachers and delivered their drinks to their classrooms. I also helped keep the café organised and clean. I enjoyed working with my team and learning how a café operates. This experience helped me improve my communication, teamwork and customer service skills.” - Adelita

James also reflected on how the program developed from training into authentic café service:

“The Coffee Collective was great. We learnt about how a café is run and how to operate a barista machine. It helped us learn how to work under pressure and in a team of people. The program lasted 10 weeks and we learnt something different each week. Overall, the Coffee Collective was a great program, and it helped us develop many skills.” - James

And Penny’s verdict? She’d recommend Project Barista to everyone:

"Project Barista has been such a good opportunity, it’s been so fun to learn how to be a barista using a proper coffee machine and also serving our teachers in the PAC cafe. At times it was super busy so we could definitely get the feel for what it would be like in a real cafe. I would really recommend this to anyone!” - Penny

A special mention must go to Ella, a Year 12 VCE VM student, who co-facilitated and team-taught Project Barista alongside Ms Constance. Ella's involvement provided another wonderful example of students taking on leadership roles and sharing their skills with younger students.

Congratulations to our Project Barista students on completing the program and embracing every challenge along the way. Their growth throughout the term has been fantastic to watch.

And judging by the enthusiasm of staff for their weekly caffeine fix, the students weren't the only ones who enjoyed the experience!

Growing a Legacy

Behind A Block, another group of students has been creating something that will remain long after the term finishes.

The “Bush Tukka” Garden was an opt-in enrichment opportunity for students interested in horticulture, gardening, sustainability and practical learning.

Throughout the term, students have learnt the fundamentals of horticulture while taking responsibility for constructing and maintaining their garden space. They have explored native edible plants, plant biology, propagation, growing conditions and sustainable land management, while also learning about the cultural significance and longstanding uses of native plants by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Eventually, all that research and preparation had to become something real.

Students began constructing the garden behind A Block, working collaboratively, solving problems as they arose and drawing on the expertise of our staff to help bring the project to life.

The result is much more than a garden.

It is a student-created space that celebrates practical learning, sustainability, curiosity and community, and one that future students will continue to learn from and enjoy.

A special thank you goes to Ally Vance and Dan Webster, who encouraged the students, shared their expertise and weren't afraid to get their hands dirty! The students would also like to thank Ms Sandford for her support, enthusiasm and knowledge as they discovered Bush Tukka species and developed their garden.

Most importantly, congratulations to our “Bush Tukka” students. You have taken an idea, learned the skills needed to make it happen and created something that will remain part of Heathmont College for others to learn from and enjoy.

What a fantastic legacy to leave behind.

Taking Science Further

Our students have also been extending their learning through the Global Design Challenge - Forensic Investigation program, applying science, investigation and problem-solving in a different context.

And that experience isn't finished yet.

In Term 4, our Forensic students will have the opportunity to visit KIOSC at Swinburne University for a day of science experimentation.

Experiences like this are important because they allow students to see where their learning can take them. A science lesson can become an investigation; an interest can become a possible pathway; and a university can shift from being somewhere students have heard about to somewhere they can actually picture themselves.

And Enrichment Doesn't Stop There

These programs are only part of the story.

We also can't forget the amazing work happening every day across our classrooms.

Throughout the College, teachers continually create opportunities to enrich learning through experiences connected to their curriculum.

That work matters because enrichment shouldn't exist as a collection of special programs operating around the edges of school.

The strongest enrichment happens when students encounter challenge, curiosity and authentic application across their whole school experience – in classrooms, through faculties and through the additional opportunities available beyond them.

Looking Ahead to Term 4

There is plenty more to come.

Following the success and popularity of Project Barista and the bush tukka garden, the programs will return in Term 4, this time allowing Year 9 students to get behind the coffee machine and develop their own hospitality, workplace and employability skills, as well as offer students in year 7-10 the opportunity to get back on the shovels to continue the great work of our garden.

Our KIOSC students will head to Swinburne University, and students from Years 7–10 will take on a very different challenge through the Leadership Camp.

Term 4 will also bring some important opportunities to celebrate and connect as a College community, with our Formals and the Year 12 Valedictory.

These events may look very different from a science investigation, social enterprise workshop or horticulture project, but they are an important part of school life too.

Education isn't only about what students know when they leave us. It's also about the relationships they build, the experiences they have, the challenges they overcome and the memories they take with them.

Sometimes, You Just Have to Have a Go

Perhaps the most important lesson from this term is that enrichment doesn't look the same for everyone.

One student might discover their confidence standing behind a coffee machine. Another might find it pitching an idea to an audience. Someone else might thrive with their hands in the soil, in a science laboratory, on a stage, at a competition or halfway up a mountain at Rubicon.

And sometimes the student who benefits most from an opportunity isn't necessarily the student who would have put their hand up first.

That's why we want to continue broadening not only the opportunities available at Heathmont, but also who sees themselves as belonging in them.

So, as we head into Term 4, our message to students is simple:

Keep an eye on Compass. Put your hand up. Try something new.

You don't have to be brilliant at it. You don't need to know exactly where it might lead.

Sometimes you just need to have a go.

Because enrichment isn't about filling a calendar with activities.

It's about creating opportunities for students to discover what interests them, what challenges them and what they are capable of.

Student submission: Athletics Day