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Adopt a School

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What was the Adopt a School Program?

The Adopt a School Program (ASP) encouraged businesses to adopt a school for a particular project in order to engage young people in a hands-on learning experiences in a specific industry sector.

The aim of the Adopt a School Program was to build links between business, students, teachers and the broader school community through activities that increase knowledge and opportunities for careers and further education. Businesses were encouraged to work with schools to help students understand work and employability skills.

Adopt a School Programs:

  • Are project based
  • Run to a project plan
  • Deliver hands-on learning for participating students
  • Provide students with an industry mentor
  • Produce a finished product
  • Celebrate student achievement through an awards presentation for students and industry

Benefits of the Adopt a School Program for Business / Industry:

  • Supporting local youth to gain confidence and skills
  • Opportunity to lift the profile of your industry and promote your industry as an attractive career choice
  • Increase the understanding and awareness of employability skills and needs of your business / industry
  • Providing up-to-date information about career opportunities and recruitment processes in your business / industry
  • Creating opportunities to contribute to school programs by providing practical and hands-on industry experiences
  • Developing a better understanding of the school sector
  • Access potential part-time or full-time employees
  • Ability to develop supervisory skills of current employees as they take on mentoring roles
  • Participate in special events and gain media coverage

Benefits of the Adopt a School Program for Schools:

  • Opportunity for students to establish local networks
  • Provides real and relevant projects for students to work on as part of their school curriculum
  • Provides opportunities for students and teachers to gain first hand experience in various workplace settings
  • Increases students and teachers awareness of appropriate pathways into various industries
  • Ability to utilise business expertise in preparing students for the workforce by developing generic and industry specific skills
  • Access to business technology

Some of the Adopt a School Projects we ran in 2008 & 2009:

Project

Overview

Suited to

Time frame

This is Your Life

Students interview residents from an aged care facility to gain an understanding of their life. This information is then put together and placed into an album and presented to the residents.

English, Computer Studies and Design and Technology: Years 7 - 9.

Anytime through out the year

Café Skills
(can be done with an Aged Care Facility or any other industry with a catering service)

Residents and/or the employer visit the school to have a tour of the food technology facilities. Students then visit the facilities’ catering section to see the different career opportunities and help with the organisation and service of a morning tea.

Food Technology:
Years 9 - 12

Anytime through out the year

Bake Off

Students and Industry visit each other to give an overview of the work involved within the industry.  After researching a recipe the students then finish up with a bake off competition and the industry mentor would then assist with judging.

Food Technology: Years 7 - 8

Anytime through out the year
 

 

  

 

 

Solar Boat
Challenge

Schools are supplied a kit to construct the boat. They are teamed with an industry mentor with the view of guiding the students through the design and construction of the boat and preparation for race day.

Marine Studies, Design & Technology, Science:
Years 8 - 10

Registration with your local Coordinator

Cows Create
Careers

Two calves are delivered to the school for students to feed, care for and record their growth. Projects are given to students to submit to the Cows Create Career coordinators and a presentation day is set for the announcement of the winners. A farmer and industry mentor are chosen to support each school.

Agriculture, Science: Years 7 -10

Registration with your local Coordinator

These were just some of the Adopt a School projects that we ran. Please feel free to discuss your ideas with your Mid Coast Youth Career Services coordinator.