Curriculum

The extended stay program consists of three distinct phases:

1. 'Transition In’ phase at Kent Town
2. The 'Experience' phase at the Wambana Campus at Point Turton on the Southern Yorke Peninsula
3. 'Transition Out’ phase at Kent Town

TRANSITION IN
'Transition In' focuses on the particular skills and knowledge the students require for the curriculum. For example, the skill of using a microscope; pre-testing the fitness levels of students and constructing a training program; establishing an understanding of the region in which students are about to reside; the art of letter writing to assist students in corresponding with parents and friends; and mathematical skills in the analysis of research data.

THE EXPERIENCE
The curriculum consists of the following five elements:

1. Research Projects
2. Community Learning Projects
3. Expeditions
4. Health and Fitness
5. Sailing expedition on the tall ship One and All.

1. Research Project
Mainstream curriculum subjects contribute to the topics under investigation. The intention is to place students in an environment that mirrors what actually happens in the ‘real world’. Students experience what it is like to be a National Park Ranger, Naturalist, Marine Biologist, Geologist and Scientist. In consultation with the Department of Environment and Heritage, the following projects have been developed over time:
a) Weed Ecology
b) Vegetation regeneration after fire
c) Fox density and analysis
d) Distribution and abundance of Kangaroo Ticks
e) Bird and Mammal surveys including the endangered Mallee fowl and threatened Hooded Plover

2. Community Learning Projects
Community Learning Projects address real and pertinent issues in the local community such as environmental issues, positive community relationships, support to the elderly and assistance to the disadvantaged.

3. Expeditions
Students undertake bush walking, sea kayaking, cycle touring and surfing. They journey through areas of the Southern Yorke Peninsula providing an element of challenge, adventure and environmental appreciation.

4. Health and Fitness
Each morning, students are involved in a series of fitness activities that leads towards the culmination of a significant event. Students produce a training program based on their personal goals.

5. Sailing the One & All
The final days of the Wambana Experience involve a voyage back to Adelaide aboard the tall ship 'The One & All'.

TRANSITION OUT
The ability for students to get value out of the extended stay experience is determined not only by what goes on at the extended stay program but largely by what happens when they return to the main campus at Kent Town. To help embed learning effectively and to promote transfer, the 'Transition Out' program builds on the experiences of the extended stay.