Carey Zero: Promoting meaningful change and a connection to Country

In order for students to be empowered to make change, and to take ownership of their country, they must first connect with it. Through Carey Zero, we intend for all students to make meaningful connection to Country and gain a greater understanding of the world in which they live.

After two years of successful pilot programs we are pleased to be able to launch the full Carey Zero program available to all students in Year 10. Carey Zero consists of two intertwined experiences, Zero at Kew and the Zero Journey.

The Carey Zero program has been created through a deliberate process of co-creation with current Carey students. We have worked to design the program with the best outcomes for students in mind and through surveys, research and focus groups.

Zero at Kew

In 2024, all Year 10 students will undertake the new subject, Zero at Kew. Students will be in small classes with a maximum of only 15 students, led by their Zero Mentor who will be with the group for the entire year. Zero at Kew aims to empower our students by nurturing their physical, mental, social, spiritual and academic wellbeing, while also fostering leadership and essential life skills.

By connecting with each other, as well as their mentor each day, our students will be offered an enhanced opportunity to strengthen and find their place within the Senior School at Carey. The Zero at Kew course will have a strong focus on wellbeing as well as linking a range of learning areas to the real world and life beyond the classroom.

The Zero Journey

During Terms 2 and 3 students will have the option to travel to Far North Queensland for a three-week immersive learning journey in their Zero at Kew class groups. This journey may include students exploring the Great Barrier Reef, cattle stations and having an in depth look at a conservation property owned and operated by Australian Wildlife Conservancy through a six-day bushwalk.

Students will leave their mobile devices at home during the journey, allowing them to disconnect from highly scheduled, often busy lives, and enable them to connect instead with the environment around them and, perhaps more importantly, each other.

At each stage of the journey, students will be placed with experts from the field in which they are focussing. Examples include marine biologists from James Cook University’s research station on Orpheus Island, cattle farmers at Woodleigh Station and the Traditional Owners, the Nywaigi people, at Mungalla Station. This approach allows us to capture the natural curiosity of each student and find the teachable moment. The strong partnerships we have developed in Far North Queensland allow this to be possible.

By linking the three-week journey and a year-long course of study, we are able to ensure the learning does not sit in isolation. We can help students understand the concepts before they travel and unpack those experiences once they return to Melbourne. This approach also allows us to ensure students have a strong support network for their journey through the Senior School at Carey.

Students who don’t travel on the journey to Far North Queensland will instead take part in a seven-day Outdoor Education experience.

To learn more about Carey Zero please view the Zero video here. Should you have any questions about Carey Zero, please feel free to email zero@carey.com.au

Tom Ziebell
Head of Carey Zero