Indigenous students prepare for final exams on campus
The University of Sydney is hosting 29 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Year 12 students during NAIDOC Week, providing academic support, networking opportunities and workshops on pathways to higher education.聽
Students attending the Bunga Burrabugu Winter Program in 2016.
Over the five-day program, students will engage in exam preparation workshops and access Senior HSC exam markers, University tutors, staff and current students from a variety of faculties, as well as support staff, to build confidence and motivation leading up to their final exams.
Students will also learn how to write scholarship applications, apply to the University and address University Admission Centre (UAC) requirements 鈥� while enjoying networking opportunities with each other, current University students, University staff and industry representatives.
Designed to support the transition from school to university, the is facilitated by the University鈥檚 , in collaboration with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, .
The final-year students all graduated from the 2017 , the University鈥檚 week-long residency for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school students across the country, and have been invited back to campus to prepare for their senior exams and life after school.
Djanala Svagelli, a Bachelor of Arts/Education student at the University of Sydney working as a Student Leader with Year 12 students during the 2017 Bunga Burrabugu Winter Program.
Real impact
Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Strategy and Services), Professor Jakelin Troy, said the program demonstrated the positive impact the government鈥檚 Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP) funding could have on enrolment rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
鈥淭he results speak for themselves,鈥� she said.
鈥淟ast year 38 students attended our Winter Program. Ultimately 61 percent preferenced the University of Sydney in their undergraduate application and 21 percent are now studying at Sydney. In the three years the Summer and Winter Programs have been running, 108 students have participated in our Winter Program, with 24 percent going on to enrol at the University.
鈥淲hile we don鈥檛 have official figures, we also know many, many more Winter Program graduates successfully enrolled in other institutions. We鈥檙e immensely proud of all these students have achieved.鈥�
Increasing access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
Mary Teague, the University鈥檚 Head of Widening Participation and Outreach, said the Winter Program was a vital part of the University鈥檚 holistic approach to increasing access to university for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
鈥淲e engage with school students, teachers and principals from early primary school through to Year 12, in a coordinated effort to build capacity and motivation in students that have typically been underrepresented in higher education."
These final-year students have reached the end of their school journey, and our Winter Program provides the specific, targeted support they need most at this stage of their lives.
Year 12 student Tom Devlin attending the Bunga Burrabugu Winter Program 2017.
Djanala Svagelli attended the 2015 Winter Program and is now working with the Year 12 students as a Student Leader. The Bachelor of Arts/Education student said:
鈥淭aking part in the program made me significantly more comfortable and confident in my own experiences as an Aboriginal high school student.
鈥淎lso, when I got to Uni, to have a few familiar faces at the聽, as well as a couple of units, really made the transition into Uni a lot easier and smoother.鈥�
While attending the 2017 Winter Program, Tom Devlin from Lake Munmorah on NSW鈥檚 Central Coast said the week had helped him make contacts at the University, and provided practical advice on how to enrol.
鈥淚鈥檝e really appreciated how welcoming everyone is and how many people there are to support you and help you through uni, and to get into uni. I鈥檝e met lots of people from all over Australia and built heaps of new connections.鈥�
