King Island

Why do students spend a term living and learning on King Island? Our campus at Grassy on King Island, Tasmania, offers us the unique opportunity to support the cognitive, affective, creative and ethical development of our Year 9 students.

We believe that young people need safe and supportive contexts to become independent learners who can adapt to new and challenging situations; to develop independence and responsibility; to develop self-confidence and to manage their personal learning; to work productively with others; and to develop their capacity to make an effective contribution to their immediate community and to the world through analytical and critical thinking, solving problems and making reasoned decisions.

Students learn skills on King Island that will help them on their way through life. Apart from social skills developed through community living, students learn and apply physical, practical and outdoor knowledge and skills. These are often challenging, and deliberately so. Learning contexts reach beyond the classroom to their household, the township and the environment. The solo experiences, expeditions, recreation, snorkelling, surfing and community development activities all contribute to the rich learning context offered by the program.

It is an expectation that students take control and make thoughtful, reasoned decisions every day in all aspects of their lives while on King Island. They need to be aware of the implications of their decisions on themselves, their household, the community and the environment for now, in the near future and for the long-term.

The learning experiences offered within the King Island program will support students to reflect upon and understand the importance of being accountable and accepting responsibility for the choices they make.

The goals of the King Island program are:

• to promote and encourage independence, perseverance and interdependence in a supportive and sustainable community that values respect and honesty
• to present aspects of the Year 9 curriculum through the context of living on King Island and being part of a residential community
• to develop within students the attitudes and abilities required to participate in a positive way with the community in which they live
• to guide the students to develop healthy relationships with their peers and adults
• to facilitate understanding of environmental sustainability in a community context.