2025 VCOSS – Department of Education Community Sector Education Forum

Bridges to Learning

Supporting children and young people’s engagement and reengagement in education

Thank you for joining us at the VCOSS – Department of Education Community Sector Education Forum 2025 on Thursday, 13 November at Melbourne Town Hall.

VCOSS was honoured to interview students from Hester Hornbrook Academy – Charlie, Salma, Nix, Jackson, Haz, Tasha and Levi.

They shared their experience of mainstream schooling and how this compares to their schooling at Hester Hornbrook Academy.

This video was a particular highlight to the 120 sector colleagues that joined us in the room at Melbourne Town Hall.

Special thanks to Hester Hornbrook Academy, the amazing students we interviewed – Charlie, Salma, Nix, Jackson, Haz, Tasha and Levi – and our videographer Dhyan Verco (www.dhyanverco.com) for helping us create this work.


VCOSS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country, and we pay respect to Elders and Ancestors. Our business is conducted on sovereign, unceded Aboriginal land. The VCOSS offices are located on Wurundjeri Woiwurrung land in central Naarm.