Event inspires Koorie students

ABORIGINAL and Torres Strait Islander students from across the Geelong region had a glimpse of their future careers at this year’s Koorie Student Aspirations Day.

The Department of Education’s Local Aboriginal Education Consultative Group organised the event, which was held last Thursday at Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds campus.

Nearly 200 students took part in the day, and Department of Education Koorie education co-ordinator for the Barwon area Ilona Rose-Sliwa said attendees came from Geelong, the Surf Coast, Bellarine and as far away as Colac and Apollo Bay.

The morning session was held at the National Indigenous Knowledges Education Research Innovation (NIKERI) Institute, where students heard from organisations that have opportunities for pathways into employment and further education for school leavers, including Tract, the Department of Education, Larrakia Billira, Viva and Career Trackers.

The students listened to a live performance from Yorta Yorta student and Australia’s Got Talent “golden buzzer” winner Breanna Lee, who sang “True Colours” with the chorus sung in her native Yorta Yorta language.

Participants then broke off into small yarning circles to connect with other students, and then headed to the gymnasium at the KD Stewart Centre to engage with more than 50 stallholders, who yarned with the students about the opportunities they have within their organisations specifically aimed at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

“Our students are always the minority cohort in every school they attend, we bring them together every year and they are the majority,” Ms Rose-Sliwa

“It’s pretty special to observe, they get to see what they can be, what they aspire to can become their reality.”