Sharing Schools, Building Communities

Is your local school a community hub? Could it offer more to students, families, and community members as critical neighbourhood infrastructure?  How can we improve the design of school facilities and extend their use to enhance community connection, wellbeing and resilience?

In the next decade, to match population growth, Australia will build hundreds of new schools and extend existing ones – presenting a major opportunity to apply new knowledge about how the built environment can support stronger communities and better education.

This exhibition showcases the latest evidence and expert advice about developing and sustaining schools as community hubs. It has been created and curated by the research team and partners in the Australian Research Council Linkage Project Building Connections: Schools as Community Hubs.

Discover the continuum of school-community connections, celebrate and investigate success stories, and find inspiration and key information for new hub initiatives.

For policymakers, school leaders, teachers, architects, designers, philanthropists, families and the broader community.

Dulux Gallery opening hours

Monday - Friday
10.00am - 4.00pm

The Dulux Gallery and Glyn Davis Building is wheelchair accessible. If you have any questions about your visit don't hesitate to email us at msd-exhibitions@unimelb.edu.au.

The University is operating under Victoria's COVIDSafe Settings. All visitors to University of Melbourne campuses, including galleries, must be fully vaccinated (or have a valid exemption). Your vaccination information will be checked prior to entry. Find out more.

What's On

Expert discussion panels
Why design matters for schools as community hubs
5.15pm Thursday 21 July
Malaysian Theatre, Basement, Glyn Davis building  MAP 
Chair: Associate Professor Ben Cleveland, Building Connections Lead, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning UoM

Hear from our expert panel on the transformative power of design to make schools as community hubs work.

Free - book your ticket to Why design matters for schools as community hubs

Why hubs matter for community
5.15pm Thursday 4 August
Singapore Theatre, Basement, Glyn Davis building  MAP
Chair: Associate Professor Ian McShane, Building Connections Lead, RMIT University

Our expert panel will explore how schools as community hubs impact their neighbourhoods, compared to decentralised community education and services, and explain the gaps or pressure points in infrastructure, service planning and provision.

Free - book your ticket to Why hubs matter for community

Why hubs matter for schools
5.15pm Thursday 18 August
Singapore Theatre, Basement, Glyn Davis building  MAP
Chair: Professor Janet Clinton, Building Connections Lead, Melbourne Graduate School of Education

Frontline experts will discuss the impacts of schools as community hubs on teaching and learning experiences and outcomes, as well as on school-community relationships, and how these effects can be measured.

Free - book your ticket to Why hubs matter for schools

Lunchtime presentations
1.00pm Thursday 11 August, Dulux Gallery
Design Studio projects by final-year Master of Architecture students
No registrations required - free !

1.00pm Thursday 25 August, Dulux Gallery
Keynote Speakers from the USA
Details to come

Weekend activities for all ages
Build your dream hub in our makerspace  at the Dulux Gallery
10.00am - 4.00pm, Saturday 30 - Sunday 31 July (Open House Melbourne weekend)
10.00am - 4.00pm, Saturday 21 August (University of Melbourne Open Day)
No registrations required - free !

ARC Project Partners

Australian Research Council
Queensland Government, Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning
Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta
Government of South Australia Department of Education
RMIT University
Brand Architects
Clarke Hopkins Clarke

Exhibition supporters

Modern Teaching Aids
Interface
Hear and Learn
​​​​​​​Total Tech Productions

Image: Law Architects.