Victorian Challenge and Enrichment Series

Museums Victoria is offering a range of programs as part of the Victorian Challenge and Enrichment Series, a series of high-quality extension activities across all areas of the curriculum funded by the Department of Education.

Museums Victoria and the Department of Education have partnered to provide high-ability students with an opportunity to participate in a range of innovative Museum programs at Melbourne Museum, Scienceworks and Immigration Museum.

These programs are FREE for all Government Schools. Students have the opportunity to participate in these programs from Term 3, 2020, until Term 4, 2022.

Over the two-and-a-half years of the series, Museums Victoria will be offering the following programs:

Melbourne Museum

Learning Lab programs  

Students participate in a Learning Lab program, either "Rockumentary" or "Climate Change and Victoria’s Future", this is followed by an opportunity to meet a Museum Scientist. This program is delivered in school hours.

A dust storm approaches, by the roadside, via Tiega

Climate change and Victoria's future online

Learn why the Earth’s climate is changing, and what we can do to help.

Two girls holding rocks and speaking while another girl is recording on a ipad

Rockumentary Learning Lab workshop

Students become mini-geologist and filmmakers as they learn about rocks and create short documentaries to communicate their findings.

Two children looking a ipad. There is a large scale globe in background

Climate Change and Victoria's Future Learning Lab workshop

Learn how the Earth’s climate is changing and what this means for Victoria’s future.

Rocks and minerals on display in the Dynamic Earth exhibition at Melbourne Museum

Rocks, Rocks, Rocks!

Learn about the many ways that rocks shape and continually change our world!

Immigration Museum

Students participate in a creative workshop where they work with published authors and artists, exploring the many stories featured in the Immigration Museum’s permanent and temporary exhibitions. This program is delivered in school hours.

Creative Writing Lab

Extend your high ability students through writing workshops at the Immigration Museum.

Woman looking up. She is surround by pastel pink and yellow reflections

Culture Makers Lab

Secondary students explore the complexities of identity and belonging through artist-led creative learning workshops

Scienceworks

School Holiday Challenge

Students participate in a two day "Moonbase Camp" or "STEM Camp". Students will partake in onsite activities at Scienceworks over two consecutive days in the school holidays. This program is delivered out of school hours.

Fictitious moon base on the surface of the Moon

Moon Base Camp

A two-day workshop for a select number of students to visit the Planetarium, hear from an astronomer and make a 3D design of a Moonbase for human habitation.

How to register

The process for registering students will differ for activities that occur during and out of school hours:

Activities delivered during school hours: schools will register their students to participate in activities, as well as coordinate the required parental consent for these activities.
Activities delivered out of school hours: schools will refer students to participate in activities. Parents and caregivers will be responsible for registering students in these activities and will liaise directly with the activity provider to organise attendance.

In 2020, places will be filled on a 'first-in, first-served' basis. In 2021 and 2022, schools and students who have not participated in the activity will be given priority access.

Interested families and caregivers of high-ability students should talk to their schools about which activities are the best fit for them.