From a native bee and butterfly garden to ways of promoting greater awareness of Indigenous heritage, San Sisto College students were taking a lead in sustainable and liveable college spaces.

About 200 parents and carers, senior school leaders, teachers and students gathered at the college for the student-led Year 7 Geography expo, the culmination of many months of hard work.

The expo showed off the many models and digital prototypes the students had designed.

Student Zoe Westneat said she found the project based learning “new and interesting”.

“In previous years I had not been exposed to this way of collaborative learning, so I was intrigued when it was first introduced to me,” she said.

“One of the things I enjoyed the most about this experience was being able to create my own deadlines and the ‘free-range’ classroom time.

“From this project, I have learned many 21st Century skills that will be vital in future years.

“I look forward to working in this format in the years to come and I am glad that I was able to be a part of this new experience.”

San Sisto College Learning and Teaching educator Peter Barber said many creative proposals were displayed during the expo.

“There were innovative ideas to develop more effective learning spaces, a plan to create a native bee and butterfly garden, and ways to promote greater awareness of the Indigenous heritage of our local area,” he said.​

Project based learning is an activity where students work in small groups to address a complex question dealing with a real-world issue.

The students worked together to research, collect data, and develop a plan.

San Sisto College’s Principal, Shelley Hamilton said the college embraced agile and innovative education and pedagogical practices.

“Our dedicated teaching team pursue leading-edge, best-practice pedagogy to maximise learning, and prepare students for occupations in the future that do not currently exist,” she said.​​

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