VCAL

The VCAL program started this year with opportunities for experiential learning and self-development through connections with the community. Our senior students participated in an Urban Camp with the Brotherhood of St Laurence in Fitzroy. The camp met some outcomes for their Personal Development Skills Unit along with their literacy unit. It provided the students with an insight into social inequality and injustice, thus enabling them to understand the reasons for poverty and disadvantage first-hand. A great experience and opportunity for all senior students!

While our intermediate students undertook an excursion to Marngoneet Correctional Centre in Lara. Marngoneet is a 300-bed medium security correctional programs centre which provides an intensive level of treatment and offender management activity, including sex offender treatment programs, drug and alcohol treatment programs, violent offender treatment programs, and vocational services programs for prisoners in Victoria. The students had the opportunity to meet with prisoners and listen to their stories. They were able to ask them frank and personal questions, about their lives before and in prison, the crimes that they committed and how they felt about them. The prisoners were very clear and honest in explaining to the students that they were all responsible for the choices they had made and the consequent punishment the courts imposed on them. They were consistent in telling the students that drugs and or alcohol abuse played a significant role in their offending behaviour. They reflected on the importance of family and how valuable it is to be able to talk to someone when you have problems, before they escalate. Our students were respectful and thoughtful in their conversations with the prisoners and took away key messages from this experience.

Our VCAL students have also been undertaking several exciting learning opportunities within their elective component. All of which are linked to strands of VCAL. A collaborate community partnership has been formed with St Brigid’s Church Mordialloc, where the students below are using practical skills incorporating both Work Related Skills, Numeracy and Literacy outcomes. They are redesigning a church garden bed and re -planting all in line with the recent church renovations. A great practical display of community involvement.

Our VCAL students will have a very engaging and productive year ahead, with several more applied learning opportunities to follow!

Mrs Janina McLaren

Applied Learning VET Coordinator