What is Aspire?
Aspire is an exciting program open to all students in Years 7-9 who are aspirational and looking for a challenge.
Aspirants choose a task from the Aspire booklet and attempt to complete it within a five week time-frame. Aspirants also have the option of designing their own task that fits the Aspire requirements.
What is an Aspire task?
An Aspire task:
- Explores an open-ended idea
- Requires the application of new knowledge
- Requires critical thinking skills
- Encourages creativity & a Growth Mindset
- Has the ‘right amount’ of difficulty
- Develops organisational skills and self-motivation
- Involves honest reflection on the process and the result
- Culminates in a Presentation to a Panel
How to start?
Students should see either of the Aspire Coordinator, Mrs Moore, and register their interest. During the five-week period, the Aspire coordinator will meet with the Aspirant to check on their progress and provide support, when needed. Other teachers within the school can also be approached for specialist advice or assistance. Most of the work will be done in the Aspirant’s own time though, and requires commitment and effective time management.
What happens at the end of the five weeks?
Aspirants will present their work and reflect on their process to a panel who will determine whether the work is ‘C’ (Completed) or ‘NC’ (Not Completed).
Given that the tasks are so varied, the presentations to the Panel will be equally varied. Some presentations will involve a demonstration, others a multi-media presentation; some an exhibition of work and others a performance.
The tasks are also judged on whether they are ’S’ (Successful) or ‘NS’ (Not Successful). As Aspire tasks are open-ended, some tasks may not result in the anticipated outcome. This does not mean that the task is not successful. In these cases, the degree of effort made, the reflections on skills and knowledge learnt, and the response to the challenges experienced, will determine whether the task is ‘Successful’.
Aspirants will be asked to reflect on questions such as:
- Why did you choose this specific task?
- What was the best part of completing the task?
- What made you think hard?
- Did you need help? How did you get help? How did this help impact your work?
- What did you find most challenging?
- Did something go wrong? What did you do at that point?
- What new ideas did you try?
- What have you learnt in doing this task? What new skills and knowledge have you learnt? What have you learnt about the way you work? What strategies did you draw upon or develop?
- Did you meet the expectations or goals that you set yourself?
- How did you stay motivated? How did you manage your time?
- Are you happy with the end result? Why, or why not?
- Where to next? What new goals do you have?
Each ‘Successful’ task earns an Aspire Certificate which can be included in the personal portfolio students take from the College. This certificate will be a valued reference for future employers, tertiary institutions and scholarship applications.
Furthermore, the Aspirants who complete the most impressive Aspire task(s) will receive the Aspire Award for High Achievement at Presentation Night in December.
Work will be exhibited, both online and at the school.
How many tasks can be done?
Aspirants can do as many tasks or as few as they wish. This is about quality, creative growth and self-discovery, not quantity.
The Tasks – Click here to download the PDF
