A cross-disciplinary stem program at years 7-10 offers students the opportunity to investigate and find solutions to real-world problems in an engaging student-directed learning environment.

Named after one of our values, the Endeavour Program offers an innovative approach to teaching and learning at Fountain Gate Secondary College. Applying 21st Century STEM based curriculum, it offers students the opportunity to study in a cross-disciplinary, project and problem-based learning environment. Students gain knowledge and skills transferable to their other classrooms while investigating real-world issues in an engaging, student-directed learning environment.

The overarching vision of the Endeavour Program is to allow students to develop skills in investigating, analysing and synthesising information, and creating and designing solutions to real world problems. They will develop the 21st Century skills of creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication.

The Endeavour Program has major overarching themes at each year level. These themes will be framed with a series of driving questions that are open-ended and promote students to identify a problem. They will then collaborate with a small group of students to investigate, research, design and produce a solution to the problem, and finally
present their solution to an audience. The projects are designed to offer students choice and voice in their studies while developing key competencies that will help students to learn how to take the initiative and responsibility, build their confidence, solve problems, work in teams,]communicate ideas, and manage themselves more effectively. They are also designed to provide opportunities for students to use technology in authentic ways that reflect what is happening in the real world.

The Endeavour Centre houses this exciting program. The centre comprises ten flexible learning spaces that offer limitless learning opportunities. Furthermore, students have access to unique new technologies such as robotics, CAD design studio, 3D printers, Laser cutters ,Vinyl cutters, Plasma cutters and CNC routers.

Endeavour Program - Key Competencies for Deep Learning

Design Thinking

  • Generate a wide variety of potential solutions
  • Refine solutions with an innovation lens

Research

  • Seek new knowledge and use existing knowledge in new and creative ways
  • Identify important problems and ask important questions
  • Use critical thinking to identify relevant, reliable and useful information

Collaboration

  • Work in teams to achieve a common goal
  • Manage team dynamics and cultures
  • Learn from others, and help others learn

Communication

  • Use a range of communication styles, modes and tools
  • Produce communication for a range of audiences
  • ‘Pitch’ solutions to potential clients/stakeholders

Creativity

  • Design and develop original solutions to real-world problems
  • Identify unique ways of resolving obstacles in the development process
  • Create solutions with a user-experience

Citizenship

  • Compassion and empathy for others
  • Develop solutions to complex real-world
  • problems which affect individuals, communities and the environment