WHITTLESEA TECH SCHOOL

The Tech School initiative is part of the Victorian Government's commitment to creating the Education State, ensuring every Victorian student has access to a great education.

THE WHITTLESEA TECH SCHOOL VISION

"The Whittlesea Tech School will be a centre of technological innovation that builds the aspiration and confidence of students to engage in a future world of work with the skills and capacities to successfully operate as global citizens."

The Whittlesea Tech School will operate differently to a school. It will be high-tech learning environments, with innovative education programs, hosted by Melbourne Polytechnic and linked with local industry, delivering real world learning to students. Students from 13 participating schools in Whittlesea will access the Tech School throughout the year for specialised programs

The Whittlesea Tech School will emphasise employability skills vital for the 21^st Century and have a science, technology, engineering and mathematics focus. Tech Schools will enhance the programs that schools provide and help give students the skills they need to shape the future. They will also benefit teachers through professional development and enriched experience.

THE WHITTLESEA TECH SCHOOL

Secondary students from 13 partner schools in the Whittlesea areas will have access to high-tech learning at the cutting-edge Whittlesea Tech School with real world industry connections:

The project is currently in an intensive planning and development phase, with the local partnership group progressing through streams of work that include curriculum development, infrastructure design, staffing, technology and equipment requirements, transport and how this central resource will service participating schools.  

SITE AND HOST 

Melbourne Polytechnic will host the Whittlesea Tech School at its Epping Campus. Anticipated to open in Term 3 of 2018, it will be housed in a newly constructed, innovative building. 

The architects for this project are ClarkeHopkinsClarke.

The design of the Tech School has been to provide a learning environment that is stimulating and inspires students to learn within it and from it.  Featured are a range of spaces which enable students to have access to learning and resources in inventive ways enabling them to collaborate, ideate, innovate and investigate in new modes. This includes bespoke digital virtual labs, physical creation spaces, inquiry spaces, presentation spaces and integrated indoor-outdoor learning spaces.

The design phase is nearing the completion of the detailed design period and the images attached form some artist's impressions of the building design.

EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Key Principles

• inquiry based with stem (and steam) connections
• multi age/ multi stage
• cross school, cross sector
• builds capacity in students, schools, industry and community
• influences and advocates for new learning opportunities
• develops an 'innovation mindset'
• co-constructed: industry- education- community together
•  applied & authentic learning
• The tech school is an incubator of learning practice

Key Learning Programs

• co-constructed inquiries into real world problems conducted with schools, industry and community

• offers a range of related inquiries that schools select according to requirements

• event based learning opportunities (eg: hackathons, science fair, Maker Faires)
• facilitated masterclass sessions
• community/ outreach programs
• careers/ Industry hub
• provision of content, resources, expertise and connection
• out of hours programs

PARTNERS 

Further information:

Whittlesea Tech School