Teaching academy for Camp Street

THE educational legacy of the former Ballarat Learning Exchange will live on.

Now in redevelopment, the Camp Street building is set to become a campus of the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership, expected to open in 2023.

State Minister for Education Natalie Hutchins announced the facility last week and said its aim will be to provide professional development to teachers and keep them skilled-up with the latest methods and technologies to be world-class educators.

“We shouldn’t just be training our teachers in their original degrees and forgetting about their progress,” she said.

“This is about investing in our teachers, mentoring them, giving them leadership skills, and the newest and latest technology and tips about how to deliver curriculum,” she said.

“There will be fantastic and impressive open spaces for learning, nooks for study, and offices, as there will be staff located here.”

Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership CEO Dr Marcia Devlin said their flagship professional learning program is a part-time commitment.

“Teachers will be in the classroom doing what they do best, and then come in and participate in conferences and masterclasses… and take the latest knowledge, research and skills back to the classroom,” she said.

“We have over 50 leadership programs for leaders at all stages of their journey; emerging leaders, and assistant, aspiring, new and established principals.”

Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison, a former teacher, was grateful to see this support for regional educators.

“Ongoing professional development is so important to make sure that our students are getting the best out of every class,” she said.

“By making our teachers world’s best teachers, we’re going to give our students the best options and opportunities inside and outside the classroom.”

Based in the “heart” of the creative precinct, City of Ballarat mayor Cr Daniel Moloney said the building will also house an arts incubator.

“We’ve got so many creatives wanting to produce using a whole range of multimedia… so we’re putting in $75,000, and the State Government an additional $75,000 on top of the build, to fit out some of these spaces,” he said.

“We’ll see TV studios, sound-recording booths; really impressive multimedia facilities. There’s so much potential to see locally produced TV, radio, and even work from the games industry.

“The interest is so strong. It’s something our arts community has been after, to have a physical space to collaborate, and work.”

Seven academy campuses are in development across Victoria, sharing $17 million.