The College of Arts and Education has collaborative partnerships with many arts organisations, schools, community groups and agencies.

We are committed to strengthening our engagement with these organisations based on a commitment to trust, mutuality and reciprocity.

These relationships provide students with opportunities to develop their knowledge, skills and experience while studying at VU. 

VU's partnerships play a role in:

School sports-program partners

We provide learning opportunities for our pre-service teachers through our partnerships with major sporting bodies.

Our sporting partners include:

  • Western Bulldogs - Bulldogs Friendly Schools Program (BFSP)
  • Tennis Australia - delivering Hot Shot Tennis Program in schools
  • Football Federation of Victoria
  • Cricket Victoria
  • Touch Rugby Victoria.

VU education students in schools

As part of their ACP (Applied Curriculum Project), Victoria University pre-service teachers work with our partners to plan and deliver a sports program in a primary school.

It's an opportunity for our students to develop teaching, sportsmanship, and healthy-lifestyles knowledge, as well as organisation, communication and management skills. Our pre-service teachers can also gain a coaching qualification to register with these sporting bodies through the Sporting Schools program.

An induction day is organised with our sporting partners early in Semester 1 to prepare our students to implement the sports programs in a school.

Feedback from participating schools shows that the programs result in several positives for the children involved, including:

  • improved skills
  • increased participation
  • success at interschool sport.

Bulldogs Friendly Schools Program (BFSP)

The Bulldogs Friendly Schools Program (BFSP) creates learning opportunities for school students from diverse backgrounds. As well as providing opportunities for our pre-service teachers in teaching and learning, there are lessons in building community partnerships.

Extras for the participating schools, organised by the pre-service teacher, include:

  • Bulldogs player appearances
  • tickets to a Bulldogs game
  • Bulldog giveaways, mascot “Woofer” visits
  • the inflatable roadshow.

For more information about these programs please email Trudy Turner in the Partnership Office [email protected]

 

Western Bulldogs

The Western Bulldogs are a major partner of VU, and this relationship encompasses more than just sport.

There are cadetships (of around 150 hours' work experience) each year, usually in marketing and communications, available to a small number of VU's top students.

We also have a research relationship with the Bulldogs, offering opportunities to study areas such as sport in society.

Footscray Community Arts

Since 2013, Victoria University has been a partner of the Footscray Community Arts who have embedded themselves as a major part of the fabric of the local community.

The growth of the partnership now provides a range of opportunities for VU Students to undertake a research project, or intern or complete work placement in:

  • event management
  • technical production marketing
  • the FCAC Artlife program.

Footscray Community Arts and VU have a longstanding relationship. The centre's first incarnation was housed in a tin shed on the campus of the Footscray Institute of Technology, and students in the engineering faculty helped pave the amphitheatre in the Centre’s current home, on the Maribyrnong river.

Arts festivals

Art & Industry Festival

The Art & Industry Festival (AIF) aims at developing creativity through the local community.

The VU Music Agency has previously been engaged with the AIF, and the partnership has evolved to provide an exciting opportunity for students in the music program to research, write and present music and songs inspired by the west.

Emerging Writers' Festival

VU’s direct involvement with the Emerging Writers’ Festival includes a Creative Producer internship.

The internship role is involved in organising the Footscray-based part of the literary festival.

Brimbank Writers & Readers Festival

Brimbank Writers and Readers Festival is free to the public and based in and around the Sunshine Library.

We have a growing role in this western-suburbs festival.

Setting Sun Film Festival

We are a principal partner of the Setting Sun Film Festival.

Our Screen Media staff coordinate the master classes, and there's free entry of films for VU students.

Williamstown Literary Festival  image showing a woman holding binoculars surronded by marine imagery and the words 'Choose your own adventure'

AVID Australia education

Pre-service teachers at VU have the opportunity to support school students as AVID (Advancement via Individual Determination) tutors as part of their course.

AVID is a university-readiness system with primary, secondary and tertiary programs. It equips low socio-economic and under-performing students with the academic, social and emotional skills to be successful at university.

It also offers an ongoing professional learning system that builds explicit teaching skills, ensuring teachers are well equipped to help students aspire to university success.

Research project

AVID Australia is conducting a research project with VU investigating how effective, sustainable and transferable the AVID system can be in Australia.

It is interested in discovering:

  • why students from the participating schools have traditionally had a lower expectation of aspiring to and gaining entry into university
  • what the implications are for implementing the AVID system more widely in an Australian context.

Contact

For further information contact:

Avid Australia
Phone: +61 3 9919 7832
Email: [email protected]

Bank First

Bank First (formerly Victoria Teachers Mutual Bank) offers banking and financial services to members of the education community.

We have a collaborative partnership with Bank First that supports teacher-education and youth-work students, staff and education programs.

Bank First sponsors College of Arts and Education students with the following support:

  • awards
  • scholarships
  • student events
  • professional development initiatives
  • information sessions.

Bank First offers staff a financial-benefits package for banking services and loans, and offers students financial products alongside teaching resources.