Pimpama State Secondary College
Whilst moving towards the circular economy may be an emerging area of interest for some, Pimpama State Secondary College (PSSC) has been engaging Year 10 students in this space with its award-winning Fixed Program for over three years. Students respond to critical community needs (such as social isolation and mobility for the elderly) using a human-centred design and social enterprise approach. They partner with community organisations and businesses (such as Substation33, BUPA, Bolton Clarke, Active Scooters and the Men’s Shed) to divert broken and dormant goods from entering landfill, repairing and customising objects (such as mobility scooters) for those in the community who need them most. In 2018, PSSC was invited to showcase Fix-ed on Australia by Design: Innovations to a national audience on Channel 10. The episode was broadcast to 323,000 viewers across Australia, generating national interest in the College and allowing it to become recognised as one of the leaders in creative and innovative curriculum, pioneering 21st Century Skills to advance education past its traditional boundaries. PSSC is also the only Australian school to be awarded two prestigious Australian Good Design Awards for outstanding program design in the social innovation space for programs leading to strong educational outcomes.
