applied learning

VCAL Term 1

Toyah Oakley

Year 12

This term in our Year 12 VCAL class we have started learning new skills that will help us once we graduate school.

In Literacy, we have been working on our persuasive writing in order to be able to construct arguments and present our opinions in a logical manner. Our Numeracy class has completed a unit on statistics and begun networking where we are looking at everything - from public transport networks to social networks. For Work Related Skills we have completed our OH&S unit and certificates in Safe Food Handling and Responsible Service of Alcohol. As a part of Personal Development our class has been working on the Moreland Youth Movement Community Based Project to combat racism in the Moreland community. We’ve been working with Phil from Oxygen who comes in every Thursday and runs workshops with us helping build our understanding of racism in Australia and ways we can help fight it. With Phil, we’ve begun planning our two community based projects - a mural and primary school visits to educate younger students in a way that is fun and they can understand. The most enjoyable thing we’ve done this term was definitely the Tree Adventure course in Belgrave. We did lots of team building on the High Ropes Course - it was physically challenging! We got to know each other a lot better, which makes it easy to work together in class on our projects.

Tree Adventure

Timothy Roach

Teacher - VCAL

Glen Harrow Park, which is situated on the traditional Wurundjeri land, is the home of Trees Adventure. The estate spans eight hectares of mostly forest alongside the Puffing Billy station in Belgrave. It features rare trees, including a magnificent 150-year-old Algerian Oak, used as the ‘Home Tree’ for the tree top adventure courses, the gigantic Sequoia that rises sixty metres above the earth and two Chinquapin – the only known Japanese oaks in Victoria.

Tackling the High Ropes Course, the focus was on Personal Development. Students strengthened their teamwork and collaboration skills as they navigated the tough, physically challenging course together.  This activity was all about risk-taking - confronting and conquering their fears, and building confidence in their ability to overcome obstacles or difficult situations.

The BSC team did really well - supporting and encouraging each other along the way - proving that there is strength and safety in numbers! The skills that they had to tap into on this activity will be exercised and developed further throughout the year. The various team projects throughout the VCAL program  are designed for, and demand that, students maximise their personal skills within their work environment. Well done team!

Moreland Youth Movement Project

Laura Elliot

VCAL Coordinator

The Moreland Youth Movement (MYM) is a partnership project between Moreland Council, Brunswick Secondary College, Merri Health and Inner Northern Local Learning & Employment Network. This project focuses on building resilience and empowering young people to have a voice in their local community.

Twenty-one enthusiastic BSC VCAL students are involved in this project. They were assigned the task of identifying a real-world issue affecting young people and then to develop solutions to the problem to be implemented by Council. The BSC team had to pitch their ideas to Oxygen (the Council-appointed advisory committee) who will give them feedback in preparation for  presenting their final proposal for consideration.

This project not only develops students' communication and teamwork skills, it also fosters their critical thinking and ability to develop problem solving strategies while working in a real-world working environment. The framework of support from Oxygen around this project has really helped to engage and encourage our talented VCAL students. They are motivated in working toward an end-goal that will make a real difference to their local community. Watching them meet the challenges of the project, experience the inevitable setbacks and then problem-solve their way through the process, is very exciting. Working in such a dynamic situation is a huge opportunity for them all to develop their work-ready and life skills, and they are doing a fabulous job!

Watch our video that explains the project in more depth.