Values in Action Schools Project clusters
The Values in Action Schools Project (VASP) was a national project in which clusters of schools were funded to design, implement and evaluate the outcomes of high quality values education projects. All schools in Australia, through cluster arrangements, were invited to develop a project proposal and apply for grants for the Values in Action Schools Project.
The broad objective of the Values in Action Schools Project was to design and conduct quality values education projects that equip students with:
- the knowledge, values and attitudes that enable them to be tolerant, respectful and socially inclusive members of society
- the skills, abilities and resilience for social, emotional and physical wellbeing as confident, engaged learners.
The findings from this project provide guidance to all Australian schools on using good practice values education outcomes for the long-term benefit of the whole school community. VASP offers an opportunity for school communities to explore how the explicit teaching of values can:
- develop student resilience and positive learning environments
- improve learning through fostering student wellbeing
- develop student awareness and positive behaviours for a socially inclusive community
- develop positive relationships and mutual understandings in Indigenous, interfaith and intercultural community settings
- contribute to improvements in learning and general academic outcomes.
Successful VASP Cluster projects were selected from a large number of applications from across Australia. Clusters were selected and awarded based on a competitive application process and the selection criteria used included:
- clear articulation of the VASP objectives
- high quality and achievable outcomes
- developing a whole school approach
- effective and efficient use of resources
Funding for the Values in Action Schools Project was part of the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations 2008-09 National Values Education Program.
The Values in Action Schools Project builds on the significant work that has taken place in schools since the National Framework for Values Education in Australian Schools was sent to all schools in 2005.
Education Services Australia managed VASP on behalf of the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.
The successful projects appear below with the name of the lead school first. For a more detailed description of the projects follow the link from the name of the cluster.
State/Territory and Sector | Cluster name, number of schools and project title | Schools in cluster (lead school first) |
ACT Government | Values Investigators: Teachers and students researching values together | Lanyon High School |
NSW Catholic | Catholic Schools of the Clarence (10) Resilience, Wellbeing and Learning | St Joseph's Primary School (Maclean) |
NSW Government | Southern Highlands Schools of NSW (7) Learning and acting for poverty | Bowral High School |
NSW, QLD, VIC Government, Catholic, and Independent
| The Values Exchange | MLC School (NSW) |
NT Government | Living and Growing Our Values | Gray Primary School |
QLD Government | Greater Brisbane Schools – Values Education through Service Learning (10) Embedding Values Education through Service-Learning | Everton Park State High School |
QLD Catholic | Far North Queensland Cluster (3) Living Values, Living Relationships | Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School (Thursday Island) |
QLD Government | The Beenleigh Believe, Achieve, Succeed Cluster (4) Out of Apathy | Beenleigh State High School |
SA Government | Flinders Park - Whyalla Link Values Cluster (3) Transitions: values-based approaches | Flinders Park Primary School |
SA, ACT, QLD, NSW, TAS Government | Australian Juvenile Detention Centres School Cluster (10) Engaging the disengaged | Youth Education Centre (SA) |
SA, NT, TAS, WA Government | Cross Border Values Community (6) Values through ICT and Philosophy | Victor Harbor Primary School (SA) |
TAS Government | Connecting Communities | Waimea Heights Primary School |
VIC Government | Maroondah Education Coalition (3) Youth Voice: Fostering inclusiveness, respect and tolerance | Ringwood Secondary College |
VIC Catholic | Melbourne Eastern Region Values Cluster (8) Improving teacher practice through values education | St Charles Borromeo Primary School |
WA Government | Values in Action: Building resilience and inclusion | Davallia Primary School |