Wangaratta Tech School officially open
More than 9000 students across Wangaratta, Wodonga, Alpine, Indigo and Benalla LGAs can now access STEM education.
Students across Northern Victoria now have access to cutting-edge STEM education, following the opening of the Wangaratta Tech School by Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes today.
Hosted by Northern Victoria Institute of TAFE (NVITAFE) at GOTAFE’s Docker Street Campus, the Wangaratta Tech School will partner with 26 secondary schools across five Local Government Areas, providing students from across the region with access to innovative, hands-on STEM learning.
Funded by the Victorian Government, the Tech School allows students to participate in free, advanced science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs while remaining enrolled at their local secondary school.
NVITAFE CEO Phil Paterson said the Tech School would meet the growing need for a STEM secondary education facility.
“This facility will open eyes and minds to the possibilities of STEM. For the region’s high school students – this is extraordinary, and I’m excited that NVITAFE is able to play a part in supporting those experiences,” he said.
“We’ve already had some great feedback from our initial pilot programs with local schools, and I look forward to seeing the continued growth in engagement with our partner schools.”
Some of the features of the Tech School include drone technology, 3D printers, a podcast room, hydroponics display, robots, and multimedia rooms.
Wangaratta Tech School Director Xavier Norden has worked for the past 2 years to bring the Tech School to fruition and said he is excited for the future.
“Our programs have been designed to complement and build on the learning already taking place in schools across our region,” he said.
“The key areas of clean energy, health, agriculture, artificial intelligence and digital technology will be a focus of our programs, as these are identified priority industries for Northern Victoria.”
Located at 18 Cusack Street, Wangaratta, the Tech School provides a purpose-built space for delivering free, hands-on, high-tech STEM programs for government and non-government secondary school students in the surrounding local government area.