School attendance rates in the Australian state of Victoria have declined and remain lower than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, one school is thinking outside the box. It's reconnecting with its students via a food truck—bringing education beyond the classroom.

Called the Bitter Sweet Café, this hands-on environment is delivering lessons in literacy and numeracy. It's an initiative set up by MacKillop Education—a school designed for children who are disengaged or at risk of disengaging from education.

I've learnt how to make coffees is one thing I do, I interact with people, so my people skills have improved, explains Daniel, a MacKillop Education student.

Daniel didn’t believe he would ever graduate before enrolling at MacKillop Education in Year Eight. He was studying at a mainstream school where he said he felt isolated and lacked support for his learning needs after being diagnosed with autism. Now in Year 12, he’s feeling confident and gaining practical life skills through hands-on experience.

The Bitter Sweet Café and food truck is just one initiative that’s helped reconnect dozens of students with their education. Since its launch in 2018, the program has grown and now serves the wider Geelong community.

Students learn to design menus, conduct market research, collaborate with others, and build social and problem-solving abilities.

Attendance rose, we saw students' confidence in themselves and their sense of self-worth also improved, explains MacKillop Education Geelong Principal Skye Staude.

School refusal continues to be a challenge in Australia, with attendance rates steadily declining over the past ten years. “We see social impacts of not finishing school, we see health, mental health outcomes,” says Deakin University psychology associate professor Glenn Melvin.

It’s not just about having fun. These students are also earning accredited industry qualifications through the program. It’s a clear example of how schools can adopt more flexible approaches to better connect with disengaged students, a recommendation highlighted in the Victorian Government’s education inquiry.

This article was provided by The Associated Press.