Victorian High Achievers Program Masterclasses

Written by: Ashley Van Krieken

On the 24^th of March we were proud to host 5 of our partner schools for the first Yarra Ranges Tech School VHAP Masterclass session. Thirty-two students from Healesville Secondary College, Lilydale High School, Mooroolbark Secondary College, Upper Yarra Secondary College and Yarra Hills Secondary College and their teachers joined YRTS facilitators to take on a Maths and English themed program.

After a welcome and introduction to the Tech School the students split into their streams. Those doing maths undertook our Sustainable Energy Data Science program analyzing large data sets as a means of making decisions on where to best locate renewable energy sites within Victoria. This program was important to illustrate to students how data and data science is applied in the real-world.

Students undertaking the English stream explored the means of taking the written word and creating a visual depiction.  Building on their focus of a dystopian setting students were taken through the elements of creating films including storyboards, filming, lighting and staging techniques ahead of then using iMovie, Stop Motion, digital drawing and illustration packages and green screen filming to create a short video.

The outcomes of both programs were fantastic with students, teachers and YRTS staff ending the day excited and eager to carry on the learning journey.  A big thank to this group of students and teachers for being the first to undertake this new regular program for YRTS.  We look forward to running the program in subsequent terms for our partner school students.