learning through internships
LTIs are a program where students can gain experience outside of school through internships of their choosing. Usually, students spend one day a week working at their internships. LTIs are a great opportunity to explore our fields if interest and learn through real world experience.
Having these outlearning opportunities is one of my favourite things about Cooks hill. I have had multiple LTIs throughout my time here, but I've mostly stuck with my internship with the Purple pear farm as it has provided me with some really valuable skills and opportunities.
The Purple Pear Farm
The purple pear farm is a farm in Anambah run by permaculturists Kate and Mark. I have been interning on and off at the farm for my whole Cooks hill career. At the farm I have learnt how to do various jobs such as planting and harvesting, feeding pigs, goats, and chickens, preparing and clearing garden beds, building composts, propagating plants, and much more. This has been the most valuable and enjoyable internship in my time at Cooks Hill
The Aggravation Place
The aggravation place is a punk record shop in Maitland. Its a small business run by a man named Benson. The main purpose of his business is providing a space for music that isn't as conventional or mainstream. His shop is a place people can come in to learn and talk about music.
At the Aggravation place I learnt how to sort, clean, and categorise second hand records, help customers, and identify burnt CDs as opposed to real ones. I also learnt a lot about different music genres of music and how they form a timeline that inspires new music.
Other Outlearning Experience
Permaculture Design Certificate
A permaculture course to gain a permaculture design certificate (PDC). showing that you understand the fundamentals of permaculture and are qualified to work as a permaculturist.
Alans Food Blitz - Permablitz
Conservation Critters
Conservation Critters is a social action project that I helped establish and run with a group of Cooks Hill students. Conservation Critters aims to promote biodiversity in cities by engaging and connecting the public with nature. We particularly focused on insects, which are a very essential and misunderstood part of the ecosystem.
Michelle Dado-Millynn is a climate activist and movie producer. She made a documentary called the Power of Activism which followed 6 Australian activists who challenged large corporations out of date practices in a positive light.
Conservation Critters came about as part of a program Michelle is running over several schools. In this program, a group from each school will choose their own activism projects that will become part of another documentary she is producing.
Our group started Conservation Critters because we wanted to give a voice to native plants and animals that are overlooked or misunderstood. We did this by planning, promoting, and running guided tours in Arcadia park, a nature reserve in Newcastle.
I had a large role in establishing and running these tours including writing the script, researching plants and animals, and leading the tours.
My favourite part of the tour was showing people how different plants and animals work together in an ecosystem. This is something I'm very passionate about and I enjoyed sharing that passion and seeing people engage with it. The best part of conservation critters is that we are inspiring people to make change in a positive way by focusing on the good things we have and how to protect them.
Through this project I've gained a lot of skills in leadership and confidence through pushing myself to go out of my comfort zone, especially when leading the tours. Biodiversity is essential for a healthy planet and what I've learnt during conservation critters has been really valuable when practicing Permaculture.