Senior School – Why subject camps matter
Agricultural and Horticultural Studies are subjects that come to life through real-world experiences. Subject camps give students the opportunity to connect classroom learning with industry, build practical skills and explore future pathways alongside their peers. We spoke with Sarah Dennis, Agricultural and Horticultural Studies Teacher, about why these immersive experiences are such a valuable part of VCE learning.
Senior School is about more than academic achievement. It is a time for students to deepen Agricultural and Horticultural Studies are subjects best experienced, not just studied. What does a camp allow students to learn that simply can’t be replicated online?
Student are given the opportunity to engage with a range of people within the industry, on farm, agricultural service providers and research and development.
The Year 11 Animal Handling camp is based on providing students with real life practical activities that occur across a range of agricultural industries. On this camp, students learn to work with sheep in the yards, drenching, body condition score, drafting, and responding to animal behaviours. They also have opportunities to engage in a range of other practical activities such as testing milk, measuring honey, wool classing, precision agriculture, and GPS animal tracking.
The Year 12 Innovations Camp takes the cohort on tours throughout a range of agricultural enterprises and research facilities. They visit robotic dairies and an Agriculture Victoria research farm. They learn about sustainable business practices through visiting apple producers and lamb and vegetable growers.
The practical hands-on experiences and the ability to talk with people from across industries is invaluable for students who are learning online. It supports and extends the theory within the course and allows students to meet key skills of demonstrating practical tasks within the study design.
How do these industry-based experiences help students connect what they’ve learnt throughout the year with real-world agricultural and horticultural practice?
The Agricultural and Horticultural Study design across Year 11 and 12 covers topics from plant and animal production, ethics and community demand, pest and disease management, innovation and technology, and sustainable land and business management.
Visiting farms and facilities brings all this learning into practice as none of these topics stand alone when running an agricultural business. Every venue we visit will discuss the topics outlined above. It is part of running a successful agricultural business.
For many students, VCE is a stepping stone to further study or employment. How do the camps help students explore future pathways and build confidence in their interests?
Learning from industry experts is extremely beneficial for students in regard to gaining an insight into the day-to-day workings on farms and career options within an industry. On camps and excursions students are able to talk with people from a range of fields within the aghort industry to gain insight into pathways, study options and peoples own career stories.
Our camps and excursions are designed to introduce students to the broad range of careers within the agricultural industry including scientific research, rural services, agritech, agribusiness and primary production.
The farms and facilities we visit are often giving up their own time for our VSV students, allowing for students to see a broad range of opportunities and to encourage students into the industry.
What have you noticed about students after they’ve shared these experiences together in person? Has it changed the way they engage with one another or with the subject?
Students highly value the camps and excursion provided. Not only do they get opportunities to engage with people and learn about careers across the industry, but they also get to connect with their teachers and peers.
Students who choose agriculture and horticulture often share interests with others who are studying the subject. Students find it easy to connect over their passions and interests surrounding aghort and the camps and excursions celebrate and encourage these connections.
What do you hope students take away from the camp long after they’ve returned home?
We hope that students take away the understanding that agriculture is a broad and diverse industry. With careers spanning across innovation and technology, research and development, business, land management, sustainability and primary production.
We hope that students were exposed to areas of agriculture and horticulture that is new to them and they are excited about where the industry is headed.
We also hope that students have engaged with their peers, created friendships and connections, and are comfortable reaching out to their teachers after meeting them in person.
Contributor Acknowledgment: Sarah Dennis has been a teacher for 18 years, and on staff at VSV since 2020. Teaching AgHort is exciting because it is an industry that impacts every person in our community. The industry is at the forefront of innovation, technology and sustainability in Australia.
I love teaching AgHort at VSV as we get such a diverse range of students from across Victoria studying the subject. Student who have a background in broadacre cropping, livestock, dairy, viticulture, vegetable production and those with passion for backyard veggie patches, chickens and compost. Everyone is welcome and has knowledge to share.
