Media releases
What do you want to be when you grow up?
New education program harnesses the passion of youth in under-represented NSW communities to seek higher education goals.
Enquiring Minds, a Bridges to Higher Education initiative launching today, is aimed at igniting the curiosity and interest in learning of primary school children from under-represented communities in higher education.Via a TV series, a fully interactive website with teacher curriculum support and online games for children, Enquiring Minds inspires 7-12 year-olds to think about where their passions and interests could take them in the future.It features the experiences of 21 primary school students meeting inspirational university students and professionals who have successfully established a career by following their passions such as designing computer games, building bridges and working with animals. It encourages children to broaden their own education horizons.
Professor Gail Whiteford, Chair of the Bridges to Higher Education initiative said, “To go on to higher education young people need to be both academically prepared and have a well developed sense of university as a real possibility. Research tells us that more than 40% of undergraduate students first considered higher education when they were in primary school.
“Increasingly, efforts to improve educational outcomes are beginning in the early years of primary school, supporting schools with literacy and numeracy outcomes.“Enquiring Minds is designed to sit alongside these initiatives and through an enriched learning experience via an age-relevant TV series, web and curriculum linked teacher resources, give students a real-life picture of how their academic skills, their passion and motivation could frame their future.
“Bridges to High Education initiatives continue through all years of high school.”
The Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research, Chris Bowen MP, said Enquiring Minds would help inspire primary school children to think about where their passions and interests could take them in the future.
“The Bridges to Higher Education project—which Enquiring Minds is a part of— is a standout example of the kind of partnership and collaboration the Government’s Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP) is designed to support.“It brings together schools, universities and communities to engage parents and children to aspire to a future that includes higher education.”
Bridges to Higher Education engaged Television Sydney (TVS) to develop the series Enquiring Minds. It will be broadcast on TVS from March 2013 and then rebroadcast over the year. It will also be broadcast on the three other community TV stations nationally.
The series will be available on the web and sent to schools in communities that are under-represented in higher education across the Sydney Basin, as a key resource for teachers, principals, mentors and equity program workers to inspire primary school kids to be aware of university as a great option for them.
Enquiring Minds can be found at: www.enquiringminds.com.au
ENDS
For further information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Steve Riethoff
Media Relations
steve@reservoirnetwork.com.au
02 9955 8000/ 0417 047 837
Rebecca Milne
Senior Executive Officer
r.milne@uws.edu.au 0407 769 123
Leading youth advocate Jan Owen to chair Higher Education think tank
Cross sector group to address inequality in NSW higher education to help drive economic outcomes for the future.
One of Australia’s leading advocates for youth and social change, Jan Owen AM is the new Chair of the Bridges to Higher Education Partners Advisory Group.
The Partners Advisory Group is a NSW first, bringing together key opinion leaders within the NSW education sector to shape the development of Bridges initiatives that encourage children from disadvantaged backgrounds to engage in higher education. The group includes high-level representation from all levels of education in NSW including the five university partners, TAFEs, the Department of Education, the Primary and Secondary Principals Associations, parents’ group representatives and key non-Government agencies and the Catholic Education sector.
Spokesperson for Bridges to Higher Education, Professor Gail Whiteford said, “we are honoured that Jan has agreed to Chair the Advisory Group. The Advisory Group is to lead the discussion as to how we can achieve further equity and inclusion in education for all Australian youth, particularly those in disadvantaged areas, to drive enhanced social and economic outcomes for the future.”
Ms Owen said, “The Partners Advisory Group provides an unique opportunity to stimulate the debate in social inclusion in education. By talking with leaders from a wide range of educational stakeholders we can take action to address gaps in educational outcomes. This comes at a crucial time for education in Australia – all those with a voice in education need to work together to ensure we can achieve an expanded array of opportunities for the next generation”.
For further information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Steve Riethoff
Media Relations
steve@reservoirnetwork.com.au
02 9955 8000/ 0417 047 837
About Jan Owen AM
Jan Owen is CEO of the Foundation for Young Australians.
Jan was named the inaugural Australian Financial Review & Westpac Group ‘Woman of Influence 2012’. In 2000 she was awarded membership of the Order of Australia for services to children and young people and in 1999 received a fellowship for leadership and innovation to the Peter Drucker Foundation in the US. Jan is the author of Every Childhood Lasts a Lifetime (1996).
Before joining FYA, Jan was Executive Director of Social Ventures Australia, which aims to increase the impact of the Australian social sector. Prior to this, Jan founded the CREATE Foundation, the national consumer body for children and young people in out of home care. Jan has contributed to the establishment of many social change organisations in Australia and served on a wide range of Boards. She is currently Board Director, Australian National Development Index (ANDI); Chair, Bridges to Higher Education Advisory Group; Member, RMIT College of Business Industry Advisory Board and Patron of Vanish.
Editor’s note: Photographs from the event are available on request.
March 6, 2013
Providing a bridge to University: parents hear more about higher education options
More than 150 parents of high school students, who in many cases will be the first in their families to attend a university, visited the Macquarie campus on Tuesday, March 5 as part of the University’s participation in the Bridges to Higher Education Program.
Bridges to Higher Education is a unique partnership between five universities including University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney, Australian Catholic University, University of Western Sydney and Macquarie University, which aims to boost the participation of under-represented communities in higher education.
It seeks to engage young people who previously may not have considered higher education as an option – particularly those from lower socio-economic groups and refugee backgrounds – which have been traditionally under-represented in higher education.
However, Tuesday’s visit to the Macquarie campus was about answering the kinds of questions all parents of future university students have about their children’s educational future. Representatives from all five participating universities were on hand to speak and answer questions and the parents were also given a tour of the Macquarie campus.
Macquarie Pro Vice-Chancellor (Social Inclusion) Professor Gail Whiteford, who is also Chair of the Bridges to Higher Education Management Committee, welcomed the parents. Professor Whiteford said the event was designed to de-mystify the university experience for parents and also re-assure them about specific supports available when their children attend university.
“We believe that in supporting parents, we help create the sense of possibility of university as a destination following high school,” she said.
The Bridges to Education program is a $21 million initiative designed to reach more than 100,000 school students and inspire them to broaden their education horizons. The wider project works with primary and secondary school students and partners in Greater Western Sydney to engage young people through a variety of targeted aspiration-building and academic support programs.
This program is funded by the Commonwealth Government’s Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP), as part of the Bridges to Higher Education initiative.
Steve Riethoff
Media Relations
steve@reservoirnetwork.com.au
02 9955 8000/ 0417 047 837
Campus visits for local parents provides a bridge into university
More than 200 parents from all over Greater Western Sydney came to campus to experience university life and answer some of those tricky questions about their children’s future.
Bridges to Higher Education, a partnership of 5 Sydney basin universities, hosted a day at the University of Western Sydney Campbelltown campus on Thursday 13 December 2012 to showcase university life to parents of students from Greater Western Sydney.
Over 200 parents of students from the area came to UWS Campbelltown campus to experience university life, as well as ask university representatives questions about applying to university, university life, costs, courses, support systems available and other common questions that children might ask their parents.
“You hear people speak of university and it’s all very scary, but then you see the campus and you hear students and staff speak of the academic, financial and other support and what it’s really like to go to university. You begin to think that maybe my child, and even I, could belong here too and it breaks down all your barriers, you know,” says one mother of a child from Lakemba Public School.
“My child is so young, he is only in year one, but coming to this day has helped me to help my child in the future, it also helped me to see that my overseas qualification could be counted towards a university degree for me!” says a parent from Wiley Park Public School.
“The University of Western Sydney recognises the value of parental encouragement and support in broadening their children’s life choices. This session aims to raise awareness, inform and generally demystify what contemporary Higher Education involves; this is especially valuable for parents/carers with little or no family experience of Higher Education,” says Dr Jane Cavanagh, Director of Widening Participation at the University of Western Sydney.
This visit is the third in a series of Parent visits to university campuses which this year has included the University of Technology, Sydney and the University of Sydney. Future campus tours for 2013 and 2014 will again feature the University of Sydney, the University of Technology, Sydney, Macquarie University, the Australian Catholic University and the University of Western Sydney. For dates of upcoming Parent events, visit the Bridges to Higher Education website: http://bridges.nsw.edu.au
Ms. Juliet Yuwanis, Fairvale High School Community Liaison Officer, says “the parents were very happy with the day, and that it answered all of their questions to help their children apply to university. This helps me with my role in providing assistance and information to parents in my community.”
“The great turnout is largely due to the community connection and hard work of the local Community Liaison Officers. Given that these positions are a vital resource, we would hope to see their continuance into the future,” says Trudy Phelps, UTS Widening Participation Coordinator and Bridges Parent Project Chair.
Bridges to Higher Education is a four year project, funded by the Commonwealth Government’s Higher Education Participation and Partnerships program (HEPPP) support scheme and is a partnership to create new aspiration-building programs and build on existing programs targeting school-age children and their parents. This innovative project will work with primary and secondary schools and community partners in Greater Western Sydney to engage young people who previously might not have considered higher education as an option. More than 1.8 million people live in the region which has traditionally been under-represented in higher education participation rates.
The Bridges to Higher Education project brings together the collective resources and experience of the widening participation, equity and social inclusion programs at the University of Western Sydney, The University of Sydney, the University of Technology, Sydney, Macquarie University, and the Australian Catholic University.
For further information about the event, please contact:
Steve Riethoff
Media Relations
steve@reservoirnetwork.com.au
02 9955 8000/ 0417 047 837
Editor’s note: Photographs from the event are available on request.
Building a bridge to uni: Thousands to benefit from new program
A bold $21 million initiative designed to reach over 100,000 school students and boost the participation rates in higher education from low socio-economic status communities, was unveiled today in Greater Western Sydney.
The Bridges to Higher Education project was launched by the Federal Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research, Senator the Hon. Chris Evans at Fairfield High School.
The four year project was initiated by five Sydney-based universities in a unique collaboration to create new aspiration-building programs and build on existing programs targeting school-age children and 175,000 parents.
This innovative project will work with primary and secondary schools and community partners in Greater Western Sydney to engage young people who previously might not have considered higher education as an option. More than 1.8 million people live in the region which has traditionally been under-represented in higher education participation rates.
The Bridges to Higher Education project is a unique collaboration bringing together the collective resources and experience of the widening participation, equity and social inclusion programs at the University of Western Sydney, The University of Sydney, the University of Technology, Sydney, Macquarie University, and the Australian Catholic University.
The program will also draw on the existing partnerships the five universities have with significant education, government and non-government organisations including the NSW Department of Education and Communities, TAFE NSW, Universities Admissions Centre (UAC), AFL NSW/ACT, The Smith Family, and Tutoring Australasia.
Senator Evans announced the project in front of an audience of more than 300 higher education providers, partners, community stakeholders, parents and school students from Fairfield Public School and Fairfield High School.
“In order to achieve greater national productivity as well as build greater social equity, Australia must break down the barriers to lower representation in higher education of people with low SES backgrounds," said Senator Evans.
“We have invested an unprecedented $1 billion over the next four years to profoundly change the landscape of higher education in terms of inclusiveness, diversity and accessibility,” he said.
“The Australian Government is committed to building a stronger, fairer nation and more accessible higher education is integral to achieving our goal,” said Senator Evans.
The Bridges to Higher Education project has been funded with $21.2 million from the Commonwealth Government’s Higher Education Participation and Partnerships program (HEPPP) – highest level of funding for a project in the $150 million national low SES support scheme. The Bridges to Higher Education project will also receive contributions from the five collaborating universities and other partners.
Using the combined resources of the universities and their partners the project aims to improve academic outcomes by improving student’s abilities in reading, writing and numeracy as well as in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Other programs such as visits to university campuses, summer schools, mentoring and work experience are designed to raise awareness and improve aspirations. The project will also work with teachers, careers advisors, community liaison officers and Aboriginal education officers, providing training and professional development.
The initiative will also develop new, innovative and integrated programs that draw on academic strengths of the respective partners, maximising the use of the virtual environment through activities such as virtual visits and connected classrooms, community TV programs, and other web-based and online initiatives.
Steve Riethoff
Media Relations
steve@reservoirnetwork.com.au
02 9955 8000/ 0417 047 837