On the 30 October 2024 saw 201 Year 7 and 8 students from 21 schools gather at Wollongong University for the annual My Futures Matters On-Campus Experience. The program provides an opportunity for local Indigenous high school students to get a taste of what University has to offer, start thinking about their aspirations for after high school and engage in their culture.
Research shows that there is a significant gap in rates of higher education between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. In 2021, the only 10% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people between the ages of 20 to 64 had a bachelor’s degree in Australia compared to 35% of non-Indigenous Australians. The On-Campus Experience plays an important role in addressing this by providing students with taster sessions and other opportunities to identify their interest areas. The focus is increasing their engagement with education at all levels. It is also a chance for students and community to build on the strong relationships developed through the school based My Future Matters program and familiarise themselves with the staff and services from Woolyungah Indigenous Centre.
Zach Stewart, the coordinator of the day, said the event is a great way to bring everyone together and expose students to the many faculties and disciplines that could be part of their education in the future.
“We know that there are so many different pathways to success but to open their eyes to a few different areas or disciplines is really special,” Mr Stewart said.
The students participated in a wide range of activities such as prosthetic making, building terrariums, bush tucker tours and a mock trial of Captain Crook. The aim was to give students a wide range of experiences to help identify the areas that interest them and study that they might want to explore when they are older.
St Joseph’s Catholic High School student Elise Jennison said she thoroughly enjoyed the event, particularly enjoying the 3D printing and identifying native plants and animals under the microscope. Miss Jennison also said that she learned about career pathways and started her thinking about the future. “It was cool being at the university and seeing all the different buildings and it made me excited for when I finish school.”
Randolph Mar, a teacher from Kanahooka High, said he had noticed a change in the attitude of the students over the three years of engaging with the My Future Matters Program in the school and going to the On-Campus Experience events, commenting that they are more eager to participate in the program and in school.
“The connection part of it for me is really important, and the kids are highly engaged by that,” Mr Mar said. “When they do think about finishing year 12, there are a lot of barriers to start with, not knowing people, all feeling a bit too much. But now they can start to feel more comfortable in the environment and community.”
The My Future Matters program is about more than providing an opportunity to identify student aspirations and future pathways. The program plays an important role in familiarising prospective students with the university environment and building relationships with the university’s Indigenous staff and students, setting students up to succeed when they move on to higher education.
The first year of a bachelor’s degree can be overwhelming, particularly for Indigenous students many of whom are the first in their family to attend university. According to the Productivity Commission 2021 Closing the Gap Report, three in four Indigenous students enrolled in a bachelor’s degree nationally return for the second year of their studies. The University of Wollongong exceeds national rates with more than nine in ten first year students returning in their second year, a testament to the strong relationships and culturally safe spaces that the Woolyungah Indigenous Centre fosters and the success the My Future Matters program and its many student support services.