News

At some point in their schooling, every student asks themselves the question, “When am I ever going to use this stuff again?” The staff at Immanuel Lutheran College listened to these concerns, and linked education with real outcomes by allowing students to work on a literal connection to the outside world. 

Manual Arts students at the school embraced the challenge of rebuilding a bridge that had been washed away over the years, as part of the VETiS program that is delivered by Blue Dog Training. The bridge connects to a decade-old rainforest trail that showcases around 40 indigenous vegetation species along its pathway. Principal Colin Minke said the project allowed students to understand what it meant to work on a legitimate construction site.

“We bought high-vis shirts and they wore their steel caps during the project,” he said.

“It just gave it a different feel, and from the students’ perspective it made it more authentic. We were also able to experience the challenges of concrete trucks that don’t turn up on time or get bogged when they get there. Those are the types of things you can’t simulate in a workshop.”

Principal Minke said the students were able to start viewing their schooling as a workplace, which allowed them to more deeply understand concepts they had learnt in the classroom. He said giving students a project that served a function or purpose acted as a great motivator.

 “It’s also a legacy for that group of kids. They can come back in ten or twenty years’ time and still see some of their work that’s being used and is effective.”

The bridge was opened at the start of the September school holidays, so local residents are now once again able to experience the beauty of the rainforest.