When a young person and family joins IDEA, we are choosing to work together as a team. Your IDEA team includes an experience lead, a collection of IDEA mentors, a community lead, and a fellow student who will be assigned as your IDEA buddy when you start at IDEA.

Experience Lead

This is your key team member. The experience lead supports each student’s learning program and portfolio development and is their primary advocate within and beyond IDEA. Experience leads set key program deliverables, help students to develop their Core Skills and maintain regular communication with each young person’s extended support team to ensure that they are happy and on track.

IDEA Mentors

Wellbeing

Wellbeing mentors help Academy students (and staff) to develop their wellbeing plan at IDEA, which includes goals for physical and mental health. If a student is struggling, the wellbeing mentor will engage in more regular communication with the young person and will help them to connect to our partner services in collaboration with parents/carers and the rest of the IDEA team. Diploma students connect with our wellbeing mentors for one-on-one meetings as needed.

Pathways

Pathways mentors help students to map out a strategic pathway plan and broker their transition to university, training or employment after IDEA. While at IDEA, they will support students to find and secure work placements and voluntary experiences to add to their portfolio.

Coaching

Coaching mentors do exactly that: coach! They oversee the students engaging in flex learning and co-working at IDEA.

Additional Support

Community Lead

Each campus is supported by a community lead who makes sure that the students on campus experience the best on offer in the region through external programs, events, competitions, and other local partnership. They connect the students at each campus to international networks and opportunities relevant to their interests, as they unfold.

IDEA Buddy

Academy students are assigned an onboarding buddy who helps them transition into IDEA, settle into our culture, and find their tribe. IDEA buddies are hand-selected, certified legends who have a knack for making everyone feel welcome.

Before a student starts at IDEA, we meet with them to begin co-design of their program based on their interests and aspirations.

Our program is initially scaffolded for students to help them to settle into life at IDEA. As the weeks progress, flexibility and learner autonomy will increase as we get to know students and their abilities. At this point, we may choose to add additional opportunities and experiences to their program, or we may slow the pace to ensure their load feels manageable.

The IDEA Portfolio

All time at IDEA is geared towards building a customised portfolio of contemporary credentials and experiences.

Portfolios are unique to each student. Experience Leads have regular one-on-one meetings with each student to review their portfolio and adjust where necessary.

An IDEA Portfolio typically includes:

• Up to four Nationally Recognised Qualifications (VET Certificates II – IV level)
• Hours of work and voluntary experiences
• Professional networks and references
• A series of micro-credentials and other experiences relevant to their career and study aspirations
• Samples of production pieces and project work
• University units and a university enabling program (if necessary)

IDEA campuses are modelled off contemporary co-working spaces. The “co” in co-learning speaks to our collaborative, community-focussed culture. “Learning” speaks to the reason we are all at IDEA: to learn, to progress and to take opportunities. Our hubs are designed to maximise flexibility and flow.

Co-learning hubs

The core IDEA program is run at our co-learning hubs. Students engage in project sprints and masterclasses which integrate our suite of nationally recognised qualifications. On co-learning days, we invite guest speakers and offer incursions and excursions, and other activities tailored to student interests. One-on-one meetings with experience leads and mentors also occur on these days, helping us to refine each student’s experience and broker opportunities beyond IDEA.

On flex and co-working days, if a student is not engaged in off-site activities, they attend our co-learning hub where a coaching mentor is on hand to supervise their study and help with catch up. Students may also choose to complete one of their flex days from home.

What does a co-learning culture look like in practice?

• We work on a first name basis.
• Students don’t need permission go to the toilet (because it’s weird!)
• Students can choose how and where they work at the hub (e.g. in a larger group, in a breakout office space, in a booth, or on their own).
• We have flexible due dates. Students move at their own pace and are supported to submit quality work they can be proud of.
• Behaviour is managed through a balance of freedoms, responsibilities and personal accountability.
• There is no ‘survival of the fittest’ mentality at IDEA. Students don’t compete for grades because everyone is on their own unique path. The community is supportive and mentors coach students with restorative conversations if there are friendships issues or worries.
• Graduates take a role in supporting new students to settle into IDEA and make the most of their experience. You’ll feel the “co” in our culture strongly. We all back you, and we want to connect you with a community of mentors and champions who back you too!

• Be courteous
• Be kind
• Be respectful
• Be honest
• Be supportive
• Be community minded

A core part of our program is bringing the real-world into IDEA and supporting our students to connect to the world outside of IDEA. We invite guest speakers and industry experts into our hubs regularly to tell their career-journey stories. Students are also supported to connect with mentors beyond IDEA through volunteering, work experiences, and engagement in networking events and conferences. We track each student’s network connections as they progress through the program. Our aim is that each student will have a supportive professional network to call upon by the time they graduate from IDEA.