Established in 1976 as one of the original ACT senior colleges, Dickson College offers a Year 12 Certificate to suit the educational needs of all students, whether they are going on to tertiary education, training or the workforce. Focus programs add an exciting diversity to college life, catering for talented athletes, overseas scholars, students with disabilities and younger students seeking an alternative to mainstream high school education.
Facilities: Include drama, media and music studios, a mathematics lab, computer rooms, a library, modern technology workshops, a gymnasium, a fully equipped weights room, tennis courts, and adjacent playing fields. The college is wheelchair-accessible.
Electives Years 11 and 12: Students select a study program from pre-tertiary, vocational or other courses depending on their educational aspirations and goals. Students can also include a range of sporting and other enrichment units in their course packages.
Sport: A talented sports program to support young elite sportspersons has direct links with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), ACT Academy of Sport, other training institutions, neighbouring clubs, high schools, and sports organisations. The college has a proud sporting tradition and fields teams in annual inter-college competitions. Leisure options range from cycling and skiing to scuba diving and windsurfing.
Extracurricular activities: These include drama productions, a gala media evening, a graphic arts exhibition, a dance festival, music groups and bands, and debating. Students participate in interstate visits with a sister college in Tasmania. The college actively encourages extension through mathematics and science competitions and a multiplicity of field work associated with studies and special interests.
Welfare and personal development: Small advisory groups allow teachers to give close attention to all students, incorporating student pathways planning. An experienced counselling team and careers/work experience programs support student welfare and learning.
Special features: A bridging intensive English course is available to assist students from overseas. Students with special needs are supported through the school’s Foundations for Independence unit. Dickson has pioneered a successful alternative education program for students in Years 9 and 10 called the Site Program. The secondary introductory English centre caters for recently arrived non-English speakers from Years 7 to 12. The school is a community college and provides an evening program of recreational courses for those people who have day-time work commitments.