Commentary by Guido Posthausen, Acting Director, Oorala Aboriginal Centre
See video link at the foot of this article
For Oorala, one the of the most exciting aspects of the Future Fit Strategic Plan has been the fact that its core goals of ‘personalised learning journeys’, ‘empowering communities’ and ‘building resilience’ resonate so strongly with the objectives and vision of the Oorala Aboriginal Centre.
With a focus on engaging Indigenous students enrolled at UNE through a variety of strategies, including tutorial programs, online engagement via a Moodle Community Hub, a Peer Mentoring Program for our TRACKS tertiary preparation students, and regular student check-ins and events, Oorala has contributed to Indigenous students’ success at UNE for 35 years. Connecting students to the wider university and the Armidale Aboriginal community has been at the core of our work to support Indigenous students’ distinctive learning pathways.
One program that, probably more than any other, encapsulates Oorala’s reimagining of our contributions to access for our future Indigenous students is the Oorala Youth Program. Since 2016 Oorala has been engaging Indigenous young people from secondary schools in Armidale and the region, providing them invaluable opportunities to get a taste of university life, with a focus on academic preparation, careers and hands-on experiences in a variety of discipline areas. Part of a set of education pathways, the program contributes to UNE’s vision to address social and educational inequities in Indigenous communities.
The flexibility of the program and our collaboration with staff from many of UNE’s most exciting and innovative subject areas means that we can provide students with access to experiences that set the groundwork for a further interest in tertiary education.
Each Experience Day incorporates small-group tours of UNE campus areas with hands-on workshops, undergraduate lectures, and interaction with academics and staff. Structured in small, COVID-safe groups, the events are free to attend, provided students meet requirements and bookings are made in advance.
The program also offers Leadership Camps (on hold in 2021), school visits and a new online learning series, enabling students to develop new skills at their own pace. The online experiences focus on academic sessions and learning experiences that students can replicate at home or at school. Students’ achievements will be captured by using a badging system which allows students to evidence the skills they have developed.
Looking forward, Oorala is collaborating with regional secondary schools as far afield as Warialda to include them in these programs and an MOU with Moree Secondary College, the first of its kind for Oorala, which will begin the conversation around providing on country experiences to Indigenous students and community in the Moree Shire area by taking the university to the regions, combining on-country experiences with ZOOM sessions linking to staff and other students on campus.
For more information about the 2021 Experience Days, please visit the Oorala website, contact us on 02 6773 3034 or email ooralacamps@une.edu.au
The Oorala Youth Program is partially funded by HEPPP.