In Melbourne, we offer small-group cross-curricular workshop programs for people of diverse ages, but with a focus on students in Years 7 – 12. Our experienced facilitators help students to develop their critical and creative thinking through collaborative inquiry, and to build their skills in dialogue, argument literacy, reflection and metacognition. We use high-quality stimulus materials to ignite curiosity and to spark discussions about fascinating questions on such diverse philosophical themes as fairness, freedom, identity, time and the mind. Every student receives individual attention and is encouraged to contribute fully.
Our workshop programs help students develop a sophisticated range of personal, social and intellectual dispositions and skills that are foundational for their success as students, as active citizens, and as thoughtful individuals.
Outcomes
Students learn:
- how to structure their thinking well.
- how to express their thinking clearly and confidently to others.
- how to work collaboratively to address controversies and problems with open-mindedness, fair-mindedness and respect for different points of view.
- how to use evidence in an argument.
- how to question the assumptions underlying different points of view.
- how to evaluate different ideas, and discern which ideas are the most helpful or true.
- how to reflect on the quality of their own reasoning (and how to improve it).
Programs for high school and upper-primary school students
- Our enrichment program for Years 7 – 10 presents intriguing workshops catering to small groups of highly able students, students with an interest in big ideas, and/or students whom teachers may identify as benefiting from the opportunity to take part in semi-structured discussions to develop their thinking and communication skills.
- On request we may offer an adapted version of this program to small groups of students in Years 5 and 6. We have also worked with students in the younger years.
- Our senior high school enrichment program for Years 11 & 12 students offers challenging, tailor-made workshops that develop students’ philosophical awareness beyond the VCE curriculum.
Further information
Principals, teachers and other school leaders are invited to contact us about our customised in-school workshops or to request a proposal and quote.
View our Terms and Conditions (student workshops).
You may wish to read the following academic article by our director, Michelle Sowey: Unveiling and Packaging: A model for presenting philosophy in schools. Human Affairs, 31(4), 2021, pp. 398-408.
The Philosophy Club 