2025 VALA Annual Conference - Celebrating 20 years here for you!
Friday August 8 – The Savoy Hotel Melbourne
Short program - subject to change without notice
(Download full program here)
9.00 Welcome and Housekeeping
9.10 - 9.30 Keynote – Ms Nina Taylor MP – Parliamentary Secretary for Education
9.30 - 11.00
A1.1&2 School Gardens programs in Secondary Schools
· Jak Dunstan – Environment and Sustainability – Footscray High School
· Andrew Feher - VCE–VM teacher, Sustainability Leader - Mount Lilydale Mercy College
· James McLennan – Farm my School
· Craig Taberner - CEO - Nursery and Gardens Industry Victoria
9.30 - 10.15
A2.1 It Hurts, why OH&S matters—James (Woody) Woods - CNB
A3.1 VCAA VCE VM and VPC audit - VCAA Applied Learning Unit
A4.1 Applied learning pedagogy – a framework for classroom observations. Rebecca McPhee & Kate Whittaker – Carrum Downs SC
10.15 - 11.00
A2.2 VPC projects in Special Schools -Dani Jacobs
A3.2 Successful Pathways & Career Programs- Shelley Muir – Mentone Grammar
A4.2 Immersive Experience of the Pillars in the Classroom - Christina Paizes - MYbrainwave
11.00 - 11.30 Morning tea - Networking - Displays
11.30 - 1.00
B1.1&2 Applied Learning and the importance of Powerskills– Cherie Osta – Lorne P-12 College
11.30 - 12.15
B2.1 Connecting to Make a Difference: Trust colleagues, Share practice, Amplify impact. - Nick Johns - Program Manager Lead, The Connection - The Smith Family
B3.1 Learning in a Practical Session - Talk to the students – Sandi Dimasi & student - Bellarine Secondary College
B4.1 Applied Learning in the VET classroom/workshop - Shane Jackson – Bendigo SSC
12.15 - 1.00
B2.2 Integrating the school Garden and Cafe -Cam McMullan & Gus Gillman- Echuca Twin Rivers Specialist School
B3.2 Applied Learning Community projects – Brett Gay - Kurnai College & Amanda Vosper - Mirboo North SC
B4.2 Navigating Numeracy – A teacher’s perspective on implementing the VCE VM Numeracy Study design - David Young - Heathmont College
1.00 1.45 Lunch & Networking
1.45 -3.15
C1.1&2 Insights from Above - Anna Fee & Laura Elliott - VCAA SSCR, Linda Rozenberg & Ash Fields - DE Careers Unit, Jamie Gray & Haritini Nikolaou - HeadStart
1.45 - 2.30
C2.1 ‘Fresh from the Waterford Garden’ - A Place of Engagement and Connection - Andrew Walker and student - Parade College
C3.1 AI in the VCE VM Classroom: Waving not Drowning! - Natasha Dickinson – AP Gleneagles College
C4.1 The Working Communities Program- Deb Arrowsmith & students – David Scott School & Natalie Purves - VALA
2.30 - 3.15
C2.2 Adventure with Purpose: How Landcare Transforms Learning for Students and Teachers
Annette Cavanagh & Jake Larking - Intrepid Landcare
C3.2 AL learning projects incorporating elements of the Working Communities Program – Vanessa Johnston - Mentone Grammar
C4.2 Teaching the VPC in the VCE VM classroom – Kate Wilson – Mornington SC & Maree Foster - Patterson River SC
3.15 - 4.00 - Celebratory Drinks and Canapes
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