Yarra Ranges Tech School

🖤💛❤️ Celebrating Culture, Connection and Student Leadership at Koorie Cultural Day 2026 ❤️💛🖤

Last Tuesday 15th September, Yarra Ranges Tech School proudly welcomed over 100 First Nations students and their friends from schools across the Yarra Ranges for our annual Koorie Cultural Day.

Led by our incredible Koorie Student Leadership Group, the day was a celebration of culture, community and connection, bringing young people together to learn, create and share experiences with one another.

Throughout the day, students took part in a range of engaging cultural activities, including:
• A powerful Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony led by Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung man and Yorta Yorta Elder Uncle Shane Charles
• Sky Stories, presented by the University of Melbourne Indigenous STEM Education Program (MISEP)
• A collaborative art project with Madison Connors from Yarli Creative
• Jewellery making and Indigenous-inspired pencil case design
• Creating Indigenous-inspired rumballs flavoured with wattleseed, cinnamon and lemon myrtle

While the activities were a highlight, the real impact of the day came from seeing students from different schools connect with one another, share stories, strengthen cultural identity and build new friendships. It was a powerful reminder of what can happen when young people are given the opportunity to lead.

At the heart of the event was our Koorie Student Leadership Group, made up of students from Lilydale High School, Lilydale Heights College, Mooroolbark College - Official, Upper Yarra Secondary College and Yarra Hills Secondary College. Their vision, creativity and commitment shaped every part of the day, creating an experience that was meaningful, welcoming and memorable for everyone involved.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped make the day possible:
⭐ Uncle Shane Charles for opening the day with such a meaningful Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony
⭐ Uncle Chris Hume for his guidance, encouragement and support throughout the planning process and on the day itself
⭐ East Dhelk Dja Action Group for their funding support
⭐ Bunnings Lilydale for donating materials and supporting the collaborative artwork activity
⭐ Box Hill Institute Culinary Arts and Hospitality students for preparing a delicious lunch at the Lilydale Lakeside Restaurant
⭐ The Marrung Leads from participating schools for supporting students throughout the journey
⭐ The Koorie Workforce and all Yarra Ranges Tech School facilitators for their generosity, guidance and commitment
⭐ Sara Renouf from the Koorie Engagement Unit (Outer East Region) and the YRTS team for their dedication behind the scenes

Most importantly, thank you to every student who participated with curiosity, respect and enthusiasm. Your willingness to engage, learn, create and connect made the day what it was.

The future is bright in the hands of these young leaders.

We're excited to be partnering with Lilydale Library these school holidays to offer free, hands-on digital design sessions for young people aged 12-20!

Come and explore technology and creativity come together as you experiment with VR and Procreate and build new skills! Bookings essential.

🎨 Design, Create & Explore Tech!

Ready to get creative with technology? Join the team from Yarra Ranges Tech School for a hands-on digital design session and discover the exciting intersection of technology and creativity.

Designed for young people aged 12-20, these free sessions offer the chance to experiment with digital design tools and learn new creative skills in a fun, engaging environment.

📅 Tue 22 & Thu 24 September, 10am & 10:30am (20 min sessions)
📍Lilydale Library
Box Hill Institute Lilydale Campus
Jarlo Drive, Lilydale
👥 Ages 12-20

🎟️ Free, bookings required
Book now: https://bit.ly/4yG1yTC

Please note: All sessions cover the same content, so you only need to attend one.

Yarra Ranges Tech School

Fantastic work by the students who participated in our Best Buys program! From managing farm businesses and responding to real-world agricultural challenges to programming autonomous robots, students from Mooroolbark College - Official demonstrated innovation, teamwork and entrepreneurial thinking every step of the way.

From concept to competition, these students are showcasing the power of STEM learning in action. What an incredible achievement by the MLMC robotics teams! Best of luck to all teams as they take their innovation, problem-solving and teamwork to the VEX Robotics State Championships.

From smart lighting and thermal imaging to designing digital future cities, Yarra Hills Secondary College students embraced every challenge during their Renewable Futures experience last week. Thanks for spending two great days with us at Yarra Ranges Tech School. We can't wait to see the innovative energy-efficient houses you'll create back in the classroom! Thanks for spending two great days with us at Yarra Ranges Tech School. We can't wait to see the innovative energy-efficient houses you'll create back in the classroom!

🚀 Inspiring the Next Generation of STEM Leaders 🚀
Recently representatives from Mount Lilydale Mercy College, Lilydale High School, Upper Yarra Secondary College and Edinburgh College came together for the inaugural Student Leaders in STEM Forum.

The forum brought together student representatives from Tech Schools across the state (Ballarat Tech School, Banyule Nillumbik Tech School, Geelong Tech School & Brimbank Tech School) connecting with like-minded young people to develop leadership skills, explore future STEM pathways, and help shape the Student Leaders in STEM Network.

Throughout the day, students met STEM professionals, researchers and innovators, participated in hands-on activities, and shared ideas about the future of STEM education and leadership. The event was designed to empower student voice, build meaningful connections, and inspire future generations of STEM leaders.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped bring this day to life, including Royal Society of Victoria Fellows, Victorian Student Representative Council and Robogals for supporting this exciting initiative. We look forward to seeing young leaders continue to champion STEM in their schools and communities.

Was fantastic having VCE PE students from Yarra Hills Secondary College visiting YRTS earlier this week for our Sports Science program exploring biomechanics using our exciting sports technology.

We loved welcoming Year 8 students from Mount Lilydale Mercy College to Yarra Ranges Tech School for our Body Systems program. Through immersive technologies, real-world health equipment and problem-solving challenges, where students experienced how science, technology and innovation are shaping the future of healthcare.

So great to see the creativity and problem-solving from Lilydale Heights College students!

A big thank you to the kitchen garden students for the thoughtful and innovative ideas they brought to our Smart Farming Program at Yarra Ranges Tech School. It was fantastic to see them engage with real-world agricultural challenges in the Yarra Ranges including Yering Christmas Tree Farm, explore technologies like drones and sensors, and design solutions that balanced productivity, sustainability, and cost. We loved having you and were seriously impressed by your teamwork, and the amazing ideas in technological innovations!