Students and researchers ignite soil-science curiosity in Goulburn Valley classrooms

 

Regional collaborations build lasting interest in soil, ag and drought-resilience careers

 

Hands‑on learning at Dookie Campus: regional students engaged

 

During a week of hands‑on fieldwork at Melbourne University’s Dookie Campus, postgraduate students from the Executive Master of Arts Program (EMA) teamed up with local school classes in the Goulburn Valley to explore how young Australians see career opportunities in soil science and agriculture.

The project, supported by the Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption & Innovation Hub (Vic Hub), aimed to help address the sharp decline in new soil scientists.

Dr Peter Fisher, Victoria’s Regional Soil Coordinator embedded at the Vic Hub, said highlighted this trend, and described soil as the “fragile foundation of every meal, every crop, every farm”.

 

School visits build local partnerships for food and farming

 

School visits involved:

• Goulburn Valley Grammar School (Year 11 Environmental Science class, onsite at Dookie)
• Greater Shepparton Secondary School
• Orrvale Primary School (Grade 5/6 students)

The initiative brought together experts from the Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative (MPHI), led by Dr Seth Robinson, and EMA program head Dr Anna Kosovac, to investigate how storytelling and creative research methods could deepen students’ understanding of soil and its role in food security.

 

Real‑world student quotes from the Dookie project

 

Dr Kosovac said, “Seeing students connect with soil in a real, hands-on way at Dookie was inspiring – they began to realise that soil isn’t just dirt, but the living base that supports our food, community and ability to face drought.”

Dr Fisher added, “Many of the young people we spoke to already connect soil health to issues such as climate change and water availability –well before Year 11. Their questions show just how important it is to support practical science learning in schools.”

Vic Hub Director Dr Sara Hely said, “Every hectare of healthy soil strengthens our capacity to handle drought and climate challenges. Projects such as this are essential for sparking interest in the next generation of land managers and scientists.”

 

Explaining soil science for all ages

 

Soil-science research underpins sustainable farming and natural-resource management.

Dr Fisher explained technical terms to the students during sessions. These included “soil organic matter” as the plant and animal material broken down within soil, and “compaction” being when soil particles are pressed together, reducing air and water flow. The simple explanations drew strong student interest in how these issues present in Australian contexts.

Dr Fisher also pointed out that Australia’s soils – some of the oldest and most delicate globally – are especially vulnerable to erosion, loss of organic matter and chemical buildup due to historical European farming practices. He said maintaining and restoring healthy soil is critical for future drought resilience and sustainable agriculture.

 

 

 

 

What happens next: reflections, results and broader sharing

 

The EMA student team collected dozens of anonymised reflections from the primary and secondary students involved, detailing their evolving perceptions of agriculture and environmental science as career paths. These responses will inform future engagement programs and be shared with participating schools and the wider community through Vic Hub over coming months.

Thanks to strong regional partnerships, and the support of the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund which supports the Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption & Innovation Hub, this project put regional Victoria at the centre of innovative workforce development. The learning didn’t stop with students: the EMA students, as young researchers, gained valuable insights for their own futures in outreach and applied research.

 

Report findings: key insights from EMA student research

 

In one report, the Executive Master of Arts (EMA) student team highlights the critical gaps in soil science education across Australia’s Foundation to Year 12 curriculum.

Their research reveals that soil and agricultural science content is currently scattered across multiple disciplines — science, geography and biology — with little consistency between grades or states. Teachers struggle to access high‑quality, interdisciplinary resources that connect soil science to real‑world challenges, and many lack the professional background or support needed to deliver effective lessons.

The study found that primary school students receive only basic soil concepts, while younger secondary students face weak interdisciplinary integration. Senior secondary students lack a clear pathway into agricultural science — and urban students often miss out on practical experiences.

The report also notes that while collaboration exists between education, research and industry, mechanisms for resource integration remain underdeveloped, and teacher training is insufficient.

To address these challenges, the EMA students recommend:

• Creating an interdisciplinary, grade‑coherent soil education framework
• Developing a unified national digital resource platform
• Establishing a virtual centre of excellence for soil education
• Providing funding for laboratory and outdoor practice programs
• Integrating soil education into national sustainable development and vocational education policies

These recommendations aim to strengthen curriculum design, resource availability and teacher support, ultimately narrowing regional disparities and building a more resilient, informed future workforce in soil science and agriculture.

 

Caption: Dr Peter Fisher talking through bucket contents with students, with help from Dr Anna Kosovac.