Year 7 Excursion to Bendigo Tech School: A Journey into Liveability

The Year 7 Veritas Term 4 excursion took place at La Trobe University’s Bendigo Tech School. It was an exciting time for Year 7 students as they embarked on a thrilling excursion to explore the concept of ‘liveability’. This adventure was designed to open students’ minds to the vital factors that not only make a city liveable but also sustainable and enjoyable for its residents.

The day began with a buzz of anticipation as students divided into groups and embarked on a series of four engaging rotation activities. Each activity focused on different aspects of liveability and aimed to inform and educate young minds about the interconnected elements that contribute to a thriving community.

The first activity was an online game called ‘Mytopia’, a virtual adventure that allowed students to explore the intricacies of building a liveable city. Through this interactive experience, students learned how various urban planning decisions can impact the lives of the city’s inhabitants.

In the second activity, students donned virtual reality goggles and immersed themselves in a sustainable city. Using this advanced technology, they explored the cityscape and identified elements that promote eco-friendliness, such as green spaces, public transportation systems, and renewable energy sources.

The third activity was an intriguing puzzle challenge. Students assembled a sustainable town puzzle, which featured 3D laser-printed objects representing different aspects of sustainability, such as wind turbines, solar panels, and houses.

The final activity involved learning about online sustainable games. Through interactive digital platforms, students discovered a fun and engaging way to educate themselves about the importance of environmental conservation and sustainable living. These games encouraged students to make eco-friendly choices in their virtual worlds, which they could apply to their everyday lives.

To complete the day, students worked in teams of four or five to build their own sustainable city. This involved planning the placement of their town and further creating and designing parts of the city using an online program. This could then be viewed using virtual reality goggles and students could explore their very own sustainable city.

The Year 7 excursion to Bendigo Tech School not only informed students of the concept of liveability, but also inspired them to think about the future of their own communities. They left with a deeper understanding of how they can contribute to creating sustainable, liveable cities and a strong sense of responsibility toward the environment.