Pilot: Classroom Resources and Activities

When curating Central Coast Education Network learning resources and experiences, we have adopted an Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) pedagogy approach. 

Why We Chose IBL:

• Easier for industry to understand and engage with – The structured investigation-driven model allows industry partners to contribute authentic challenges, feedback, and insights without needing curriculum expertise.
• Accelerates the development of classroom resources – IBL provides a clear framework for lesson design, making it easier to create scalable and adaptable activities.
• Simplifies classroom delivery for teachers – The structured sequence makes lesson planning and facilitation more intuitive, allowing teachers to focus on guiding student exploration rather than direct content delivery.
• Enhances student engagement with locally aligned experiences – Students actively apply their learning to real-world business, economic, and environmental challenges within their local community.
• Strengthens credentialing & digital badging alignment – The IBL approach supports structured assessment and recognition, ensuring clear pathways for students, teachers, and industry partners to engage with the CCEN credentialing framework.

The Central Coast Education Networks Learning Themes offer multiple pathways to explore local, relevant challenges and opportunities across the Coast, and then curate classroom resources and activities connected to them which can be aligned to multiple KLAs.

The selection of Learning Themes (note room to change and add more if required) was guided by a structured decision-making process, ensuring that all learning activities are:

• Industry-Aligned & Locally Relevant – Developed through brainstorming with foundation industry partners, ensuring lessons address local business challenges, workforce needs, and economic trends relevant to the Central Coast.
• Cross-Syllabus Integration – Designed to span multiple KLAs and curriculum areas, ensuring broad applicability and meaningful cross-disciplinary connections.
• Flexible, Teacher-Driven Approach – Teachers have the flexibility to select and integrate lessons based on their classroom needs, whether as standalone activities or as part of existing units of work.

Our Coast
Understanding the factors shaping the Central Coast’s future, including economic trends, urban planning, infrastructure, sustainability, and workforce development.

The Business of Staying in Business
Exploring the key pillars of business success and how companies sustain growth and resilience.

Focus Areas & Industry Leads:

• Digital Presence – Understanding how businesses build a strong online and digital footprint.
• Sustainability for Business Growth – Exploring how businesses embed sustainable practices and transition to a Net Zero economy.
• Communication & People – Examining how effective communication drives business success and employment engagement.
• Innovation – Understanding how businesses adapt, pivot, and create new opportunities.

Going Net Zero
Investigating how Central Coast industries are driving innovation toward a decarbonised economy, with a deep dive into water sustainability and its role in a Net Zero future.

Food, Glorious Food
Exploring the Central Coast’s position as a national leader in food production, sustainability, and consumer engagement through hands-on competitions.

You do not need to provide an email address or contact details to use these resources. However, if you’d like to participate in the Central Coast Education Networks ecosystem—including free professional learning sessions, teacher and student credentialing, partner collaborations, or pilot/testing opportunities—you need to be a registered user (note no-cost).

Ongoing support and involvement from our industry, government, and research partners is made possible by the experiences of teachers and students like you being shared. Your feedback and participation in shaping and improving these resources are always valued and appreciated, and help us build the business case for this work to continue at no cost to our schools and teachers.

How We Licence Classroom Resources

Central Coast Education Network classroom resources and activities are freely available for all educators, teachers and schools to use under a Creative Commons, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license agreement.

Here is what it means in human language: You are free to:

• Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
• Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material
• The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.

License terms:

• Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
• NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
• ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.
• No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

These terms must be accepted by educators, teachers and schools wishing to use Central Coast Education Networks classroom resources.