One of Ballarat's leading secondary schools will take a bold step towards post-COVID repair by making a massive investment in outdoor education and a proposed new campus in western Victoria.
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Ballarat Grammar has purchased about 226 hectares of farm and bushland at the edge of the Gariwerd/Grampians National Park on Djab Wurrung country.
Headmaster Adam Heath said the school purchased the land, near Moyston, after seeing the impact of the coronavirus on young people.
He said more outdoor education offerings would help students build capacity and resilience through physical challenge, community projects and healthy risk-taking.
"We noticed during the pandemic it really tested everyone but particularly young people. We noticed we need to build even more coping skills for our young people in the face of resilience such that they have that undependability to face into challenges that pop up in our lives and to feel confident managing through those and feeling evermore robust," Mr Health said.
"We think this is really important in preparing young people for the future. We have always had that focus but we think the pandemic gave us a lens into the future saying there's always going to be challenges for young people, but they are entering a particularly challenging landscape and we can't do enough to prepare them with resilience for the future.
"We want to expand our outdoor education offerings because we think those things are core to helping to develop greater independence and greater resilience for our young people."
The programs at the new campus are intended for multiple year levels, with the main focus being a four-week-long residential experience for year eight students.
The aim is to provide social learning experiences, away from screens, and demonstrating through experience how to live sustainably.
The Anglican school plans to have the campus ready for its 2026 year eight students.
Over the next three years, a central area for meals, outdoor kitchen, self-sufficient cabins and toilet and shower facilities will be built.
Mr Heath said he would be calling on the community to help build the facilities.
"We want this to be project that is built by and loved by the community. We don't want to drop something from the sky and have this facility gifted to students. We want it to be something that we have all worked hard to bring to fruition for our young people," he said.
We think that will lead to great ownership of the campus itself across our community, hopefully more appreciation of the students who are out there because they can see all the hard work that has been involved in it.
- Adam Heath
"We don't want to pretend this is something we can fund endlessly. We want to build this facility on a really careful budget that reflects the hard work and time our families invest in paying fees for their children going to the school."
Mr Heath said the younger year levels' camp fees would be subsidised, while there may be a levy for students staying for an extended period of time.
It is proposed student activities will include multi-day hikes in and around Gariwerd National Park, on-water activities, cycling journeys and learning about Indigenous culture.
Mr Heath said the property would be run as an example of an agriculture entity as part of its extension of the school's agricultural programs.
He said he was expecting students to work really hard in the Moyston community, including helping aged care services and Parks Victoria.
"We want to be a social and environmental contributor to the local area and the national park," he said.
Ballarat Grammar plans to allow community groups and partners, and families of students to use the property.
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