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Year levels

VCE VM

Cost

See Plan Your Visit

Availability

Monday to Friday (during school term)

Themes

Animal Welfare, Careers, Community, Leadership

Build real-world skills through conservation, community action and zoo-based learning.

This VCE Vocational Major program uses real Zoos Victoria conservation projects to develop personal development and work-related skills through applied, hands-on learning. Through behind-the-scenes experiences, case studies and project-based learning, students explore how communities care for wildlife, develop practical skills and plan actions that support animals and people in their local area.

Students will learn

Unit 2 - Personal Development Skills:

  • Complexities of Victorian community-based wildlife issues
  • Different perspectives of key stakeholders within a community
  • How to work collaboratively to apply problem-solving strategies to a real-world case study

Unit 4 – Personal Development Skills:

  • Zoos Victoria’s Connect–Understand–Act tool
  • How to design and deliver a community conservation project
  • Impacts of environmental issues such as litter pollution on local wildlife
  • How to take responsibility for tasks required to complete and evaluate a project
Support for teachers
  • Great day at the zoo - access to trails and scheduled keeper talks 
  • Teacher resources with classroom and excursion activities
  • Pre-visit information to support planning and preparation
  • Opportunity to celebrate learning and become a Fighting Extinction School
Choose your zoo experience

This program is delivered at Melbourne Zoo (Personal Development Skills) and Werribee Open Range Zoo (Work Related Skills), with each offering a different focus and experience.

Teaching guides include more information about the excursion experience and curriculum links. 

"Melbourne" (Zoo logo in botanical green).
Melbourne Zoo

- Focus on marine conservation, community engagement and planning wildlife campaigns (Personal Development Skills Unit 2)
- Focus on applying conservation strategies, coordinating tasks and taking action to support local wildlife (Personal Development Skills Unit 4)
- Introduction for groups arriving 9:40-10:00am
- Workshop (40 minutes)

Teaching guide - Personal Development Skills Unit 2
Workbook - Personal Development Skills Unit 2
Teaching guide - Personal Development Skills Unit 4
Workbook - Personal Development Skills Unit 4
Melbourne Zoo map and itinerary

"Werribee" (Open Range Zoo logo in earth brown).
Werribee Open Range Zoo

- Focus on practical zoo skills, zoo-related careers and wildlife conservation campaigns (Unit 2 Work Related Skills)
- Introduction for groups arriving 9:45-10:00am
- Workshop (30 minutes)
- Safari Bus (40 minutes)

Teaching guide - Unit 2 Work Related Skills
Workbook - Unit 2 Work Related Skills
Werribee Open Range Zoo map
Itinerary for 10:10am workshop
Itinerary for 10:50am workshop
Itinerary for 11:30am workshop
Itinerary for 12:10pm workshop

Planning your visit

The Plan Your Visit page has costings, risk assessments, payment information, travel details, sensory maps and social stories.
Your excursion will be outdoors. Please ask your students to dress for the weather.

Book your education experience

Use the online form to book your visit.

Make booking now

When you book, please include:

  • Name of program
  • Preferred date/s
  • School name and address
  • Contact details of organising teacher
  • Number of students/classes and year level