Profile

Opened in April 2000 as an innovative specialist setting for leadership education, the Alpine School is unique within the Department of Education, Employment and Training (DEET). Situated at 1600 meters near Dinner Plain Village in the Victorian Alps, the school provides an intensive, high quality leadership and enterprise program for small teams of Year 9 students selected from Victorian government schools.

The Alpine School program is specifically designed to enhance and build on the many innovative leadership programs existing in government schools and aims to actively promote enterprise and leadership behaviours in the Victorian school community. Applications for participation in the program are sought from all government schools through the nine Regional Offices with selection based on demonstrated commitment to initiative and enterprise in supporting student driven leadership.

The program is fully residential and caters for up to 45 students each school term in a contemporary, architecturally sympathetic, purpose-built facility. The program constitutes a nine week residential program with a one week reintegration period. Throughout the nine-week period students have minimal direct contact with families apart from one visiting weekend. Accommodation is in double rooms in single sex accommodation wings.

The staff team consists of 16 highly trained and experienced professionals. This includes 10 teachers, a full time counsellor and a full time business manager. The whole team provides expertise in the fields of student pastoral care, leadership, outdoor education, personal and physical development as well as student management and welfare ensuring a caring and secure environment, ongoing curriculum innovation and a dynamic program.

The Alpine School and its staff contribute in a considerable way to the social capital and fabric of the local community and play a valuable role in the economy and social life of Dinner Plain. As the school has developed, the students have become closely involved in community projects and activities.