Mr Lucas Johnson, Director of Design Futures at Cornish College, shares how fostering connection and creativity within existing systems enhances student engagement and purpose in learning.
A student’s sense of connection to learning, to community and to the natural world has never mattered more in our education systems. As young people navigate new technologies, shifting expectations around social media and complex social environments, that feeling of belonging shapes how they learn and what motivates them. A strong sense of connection plays a quiet but significant role in how students develop resilience, agency and a willingness to engage deeply with their learning.
At Cornish College, we are continually learning just how powerful genuine connection can be in shaping a young person’s experience of school. We have observed time and time again that when students feel connected to their learning, to each other and to the adults who guide them, they approach challenges with far greater confidence and curiosity.
This understanding is guiding us towards an approach that upholds academic rigour while nurturing the human capabilities that help students feel increasingly seen, valued and ready for life beyond school. Our approach, Design Futures, sees our teachers and students co-designing learning that stretches beyond traditional boundaries. Through Design Futures, concept-based inquiry, design thinking and systems thinking have been amplified as important drivers of learning.
Creativity is valued, and our students experience regular moments of self-validation and connection to their learning when they are given the space to follow ideas that matter deeply to them. Most importantly, though, these shifts have not required us to work outside of the existing systems and structures of schooling. Instead, we have been intentional about using the flexibility that does exist within these to enhance connection, purpose, and engagement. This work has already taken shape in several areas across the College. For example, in the primary years, our Years 3 & 4 Future Makers program sees students exploring big ideas through the lens of our 100 acres of natural Bunurong parkland, tackling real problems and learning from one another through co-constructed inquiry.
In Year 10, Design Futures 100 gives students the chance to shape a learning journey of their own, crafting inquiries that reflect their passions while strengthening creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and the confidence to pursue ideas with purpose. These experiences complement the strong academic foundation we continue to prioritise, helping students recognise that deep learning happens when knowledge, passion and capability all sit side by side.
Our senior VCE years are often where constraints feel most pronounced, shaped by a results driven system that places significant weight on exams as the primary measure of success. It is within this space that our Design Futures Studio has taken shape. It reflects our commitment to offering a senior pathway that brings together academic depth and purposeful learning experiences and is a natural extension of our long-term strategic vision for learning.
Rather than positioning it as an alternative, the Design Futures Studio is an opt-in pathway that maintains VCE rigour while enabling students to explore real-world challenges, develop workplace capabilities, and connect their passions with their learning. It is structured, intentional, and built around strategic partnerships that help students see the relevance of their work beyond school.
The Design Futures Studio keeps students connected to their peers and to the rhythms of mainstream schooling. It offers validation, showing young people that they can be successful within the system while still pursuing learning that feels meaningful and authentic. By designing a pathway that values creativity, collaboration, curiosity, and contribution, we are helping students develop a sense of purpose that extends well beyond their final exams.
As our world continues to shift, we believe schools have a responsibility to adapt with it, with a sense of connection to learning, to community and to the natural world central to this. Design Futures is our expression of that belief. It reflects our ongoing effort to design learning that supports academic ambition, honours individuality, and equips students with the capabilities they need to shape a future they can be proud of.
