VCAL News

2018 has been the year of GROWTH within the VCAL program.  The Cranbourne Secondary College VCAL program has experienced further growth in student numbers with the 2018 VCAL cohort being the largest ever experienced at the college.  Our team of experienced and dedicated VCAL teaching staff has also grown with even more staff on hand to guide and develop our young adults.  The “hands on” nature of our applied learning program has come along in leaps and bounds with even more links to industry and the community giving students the chance to continue to apply the skills and knowledge learnt in class to real life scenarios.  But most importantly we have seen significant personal and professional growth in each and every student within the VCAL cohort.

Once again both year 11 and 12 students have benefited from their experiences gained on attending 2 camps.  The senior (Year 12) students attended their camp in term 1 this year which took them to Torquay.  There they applied their skills and knowledge through exploration of the local community, major events and the history of the surf coast.  Students further cemented their understanding of Australian culture learnt in their literacy course through a hands on experience at Narana cultutral centre.  Later in term 2 the intermediate (Year 11) students ventured to Wilson’s Promontory where they applied skills developed in all four core subjects in base camp activities, hikes and a trip to coal creek historical mining town with a focus on advancements in industry.

Our VCAL students continue to learn from and give back to our local community through various community projects.  Our senior students once again aided those less fortunate than most of us by visiting the Fareshare Kitchen in Abbotsford to prepare meals for the homeless and disadvantaged.  Across the two days our students prepared in excess of 4000 meals whilst learning about the issue of food security.  Each and every individual VCAL class also tackled an issue effecting our local and surrounding communities.  Classes researched and developed a project that would either raise awareness, raise funds or directly impact those effected by an issue.  This year classes worked to make a difference to those effect by, substance abuse, domestic violence, mental illness and disadvantaged youth.  From creating documentaries to running music festivals and delivering presentations, our students were able to make both significant financial contributions to not for profit organisations and educated and directly impact on 1000’s of individuals.

The continual growth of the Cranbourne Secondary College VCAL program saw its implementation of a number of new initiatives and programs in the form of the $20 boss program and development of the HPV (Human Powered Vehicle) racing team.  The $20 boss program implemented into the intermediate students WRS (Work Related Skills) subject focused on developing the student’s employability skills of, initiative, enterprise, team work, communication and critical and creative thinking.  $20 Boss is an immersive entrepreneurship program for secondary school students. Students are provided $20 of start-up capital to create, launch and operate their venture over the course of a school term.  Our students then launched their businesses at VCAL’s inaugural night market run in conjunction with our college’s parent teacher interviews.  The night market also gave our students the opportunity to showcase work created in their elective subjects with work developed in visual communication and wood work being displayed in a gallery setting amidst the interviews in the applied learning centre.  The establishment of the HPV racing team was an initiative acknowledging the need to be innovative in the delivery of the VCAL program. Staff built within the curriculum a project like no other seen at Cranbourne Secondary College.  This program has provided opportunities for students, teachers, parents and local industry to work together to design and construct a vehicle, a machine or innovation in technology that will represent an ‘energy breakthrough’.  The program encouraged our students to examine and use the latest technology while considering its impact on the environment and the way people live locally and globally. The project culminates in a 24hr race called “The Energy Breakthrough”.  The Energy Breakthrough isn’t just a once-a-year event.  School groups like ours work throughout the year to design, build and test vehicles or machines within detailed specifications. It requires a team effort and an across-the-curriculum approach. Each year schools including Cranbourne Secondary College for the first time then bring their vehicles and machines to Maryborough in the Central Goldfields Shire, Victoria for a huge celebration in which they can demonstrate and trial them in action through participation in a race over 24hrs.

With so much growth within the VCAL program in just 12 months, we can’t wait to see what happens next as we strive to deliver an engaging hands on program that provides students with the opportunities to develop skills and knowledge for their future careers and assist them to become active members of society.

Mr Bray.

Head of Senior School - VCAL.