By Callum Ludwig
The School for Student Leadership’s Don Valley campus officially opened on Thursday 11 August and is set to provide an unforgettable experience for Year 9 students across the state.
The Don Valley campus becomes the fourth in Victoria, joining the Alpine School in Dinner Plain, the Snowy River campus in Marlo and the Gunrad-Gundidj campus in Glenormiston North.
Principal Mark Reeves said it was a significant and auspicious day in the school’s 22-year history.
“Today is really special. It marks the official opening of an amazing school in a progressive education system, the Department of Education in Victoria, and it’s the only school like it in a government system in the world,” he said.
“We’re proud to be a leading and socially just provider of residential education, and leadership education in Australia. This is a school that probably shouldn’t have been, but it was the curiosity inside of Phil Gude (former Liberal education Minster) in 1998 and 1999 who overcame resistance to this great proposal and whose foresight and persistence saw the creation of this great institution.”
The School for Student Leadership offers a 9-week residential education for Year 9 Government school students, bringing them together from all walks of life, for an outdoor-focused leadership education program.
Mr Reeves said every time they open a new campus, they uncover latent demand for these programmes.
“Today, we have so many creative, dedicated, and influential people all of whom have had an impact on the school, the facility, and the learning of student outcomes we witness here today,” he said.
“We’ve had 10,000 students who have so far had this experience, and I look forward to welcoming the 10,000 students of the future.”
The Don Valley Campus is built on Haining Farm, previously operated by Parks
Victoria – giving students access to amazing outdoor education opportunities like canoeing on the Yarra River, mountain bike riding on local trails and adventure camping and hiking in the Yarra Ranges National Park.
Alpine School Council President Professor Mark Rose said the Alpine School is what education is all about.
“As a young student teacher in the previous century, I read the works of A. S. Neill before I was plunged into what I call an industrial education. And while we educated well, the words of Neill haunted me about developing an education that put the kids at the centre and removed some of the encumbrances of a standard education,” he said.
“It is to prosecute that notion that a state education can not only be as good as private education, it can be better. Every kid in this state who has come here has done some magnificent things back in their community.”
45 students are accommodated at each campus, with 18 staff who teach, supervise, and care for them. While living on campus, students undertake a specialist leadership curriculum focused on personal and team development, communications skills, ICT use, community living, outdoor and adventure education and a community learning project to benefit their home community upon return.
Mr Rose said this is a place that brings Victorians together.
“Now kids from Sea Lake match up with kids from Sandringham, kids from Collingwood match up with kids from Cobram, kids from Merbein match up with kids from Melbourne in a relational education that is highly grounded, highly personal and very aspirational,” he said.
“Best of all, it’s on country. All the students here are able to feel the wonderful power of country. The kids leave their comfort zone to come here, They leave their families, their devices,their home schools, and they come here and they invest in being a part of this.”
The school was designed by Peter Maddison and Maddison Architects of the tv show Grand Design Australia and built by Melbcon with an investment of $8 million, with $6.5 million coming from the 2018/19 Victorian budget. Maddison Architects were awarded the Minister’s Award by outgoing Monbulk MP James Merlino in 2021 for the design of the new campus.
Parliamentary Secretary for Schools Tim Richardson MP said it was a special moment to connect with so many people who have been connected to this journey over the past two decades.
“For kids, it’s such a formative age and in their journey and development, connecting with land and country that’s been done for 60,000 years has such an impact on their learning, growth and development and to see what’s been achieved here today is extraordinary,” he said.
“It is truly an Australian and internationally recognised model, and an incredible model for students from every compass point in Victoria. The passion, energy and connection you see come from their experiences. In just three to four weeks of this programme to hear what it means for them is truly extraordinary, whether they taking those experiences back to Ballarat or Williamstown.”
Students recently spent a night camping near Murrindindi in what is called an Expo, and were set to complete a review of their experience in the afternoon after they finished showing guests around the facilities.
Mr Richardson said building up the resilience and the connection of our children and our students is so very critical.
“After everything that we’ve experienced in the last few years, it couldn’t be any more important than getting our students out and about and connecting in outdoor learning experiences. That’s why we are so passionate about this model,” he said.
“I urge all your teachers to take advantage of all these opportunities and I will sing from the treetops for all students at the schools that we visit to apply for this programme to connect their Year 9 students to make that application and immerse themselves in one of what is truly a Victorian, Australian and international experience.”
