Bendigo’s new Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership centre will give teachers and school leaders the chance to further their skills and continue transforming education in the region.

Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards officially opened the Bendigo centre today,
which includes a state-of-the-art professional learning space, a Design Thinking Lab to workshop and share brilliant new ideas, and three remote learning studios to connect to professional learning in small groups.

“Investing in our teachers and principals across the Loddon Campaspe region provides them with the best professional development opportunities and empowers them to deliver the best teaching practice to their students.” Said Ms Edwards.

“133 local schools across our region can access this amazing resource.”

The Academy’s Bendigo centre has local staff and is one of seven regional centres opened as part of the Allan Labor Government’s investment to bring the Academy’s high quality professional learning to educators from all sectors, across regional Victoria.

The other centres are located in Bairnsdale, Ballarat, Geelong, Mildura, Moe and Shepparton alongside the two locations in Melbourne.

Over 17,000 rural and regional school staff have already boosted their teaching and leadership skills through professional learning at the local Academy centres, with many more set to attend by the end of the year.

The Academy’s programs offer a unique opportunity to take Victoria’s highly skilled teachers and school leaders from great to exceptional – delivering professional learning that encourages them to share evidence-informed and impactful new ideas, cutting-edge teaching and school leadership practices with colleagues at their schools.

In the Victorian Budget 2021/22, the Labor Government invested an initial $148.2 million over four years to establish the Academy and its centres across Victoria, giving teachers and school leaders the opportunity to develop their skills and take student learning to the next level.

In the Victorian Budget 2024/25, the Academy received an additional $10.3 million over six months to continue offering evidence-informed professional learning to teachers and school leaders.