Building Skills, Confidence and Community
At our College, the Hands on Learning (HoL) program provides students with a unique opportunity to learn by doing. Based on the highly successful Hands on Learning model used across Victorian schools, the program focuses on building student engagement, wellbeing, confidence and practical life skills through authentic, hands-on projects that make a real difference to the school and wider community.
One of the strengths of our program is that it brings students together from all campuses. Each week, participants come together for a dedicated day of Hands on Learning, working collaboratively on projects that encourage teamwork, problem-solving, communication and resilience.
Through these shared experiences, students develop meaningful relationships with peers and staff while gaining a strong sense of belonging and purpose.
The Hands on Learning approach recognises that students thrive when they feel connected, valued and successful.
By working on practical projects with tangible outcomes, students build confidence, self-esteem and important social and emotional skills that support success both at school and beyond.
Over the years, our students have completed an impressive range of projects that have enhanced learning spaces and outdoor environments across the College.
They have designed and built ‘Possum Boxes’ for students to use for quiet reading time in our P-2 classes, constructed picnic benches that are now used by students across all campuses, undertaken gardening and landscaping projects, and contributed to a variety of restoration and maintenance works around the school grounds.
These projects not only develop practical skills in construction, design, planning and teamwork, but also foster a sense of pride in contributing to something larger than themselves.
Students see firsthand how their efforts create lasting benefits for others, whether through providing resources for classrooms, improving outdoor learning spaces, or supporting environmental sustainability.
The Hands on Learning program continues to be a valuable part of our College community, providing students with opportunities to develop practical skills, strengthen social connections, build confidence and make meaningful contributions to the environments around them.
Through learning by doing, our students are discovering their strengths, developing new capabilities and creating projects they can be genuinely proud of.
