AIM

To work intensively with high school students in selected regional areas:

(a)    to raise the aspirations and awareness of young people in regional areas about the opportunities for tertiary education in general and at ANU,

(b)    and to help improve their academic achievement

STRATEGIES

1. Partnering with eight high schools from regional NSW: two schools in Young; Young High School, Hennessy Catholic College, three schools in Goulburn; Trinity Catholic College, Mulwaree High School, Goulburn High School, and three schools from the South Coast; Bega High School, Lumen Christi Catholic College, and Eden Marine High School.

The ANU seeks to serve students from across the nation to assist them to achieve their full potential. Yet very few students from neighbouring regional areas have enrolled at ANU.  

In early 2009, ANU initiated the ANU Regional Partnerships Program which involved ANU working intensively with students in the middle secondary years at Young High School and Hennessy Catholic College, Young. In mid 2009, the program expanded to include three schools from Goulburn and three from the South Coast. A total of eight high schools are now accessing the program.

The program was designed to raise awareness of and aspirations to university study as a future option. The purpose was to encourage these young people to consider university education as a post-school option, to work with them on academic activities, and to inform students from Young about the many exciting and challenging study programs available at ANU. There is often a perception that university is not relevant or useful for one's future employment prospects, or perhaps that ANU, at any rate, is not the place for an "average" student. The ANU Regional Partnerships Program seeks to dispel this notion.

ANU is reaching this goal through the assistance of current students (“community ambassadors”) who volunteer to provide academic assistance for high school students throughout the year. This may take the form of after-school homework assistance or in-class activities.

The ANU Regional Partnerships Program will provide a range of other activities that seek to build awareness and to raise aspirations among young people about the possibilities for tertiary study.

These additional strategies are:

• Talks, demonstrations, and activities arranged by ANU and conducted in Young, Goulburn and the South Coast by academic staff and student ambassadors (e.g. current students from the region or in particular disciplines such as Law or Engineering)
• Events in Young, Goulburn and the South Coast for high school students from surrounding regions, such as a Science Day and Engineering Day
• Sustained commitment by the University's recruitment and student administration to ensure that students of Young, Goulburn and the South Coast are updated about, for example, new admission arrangements, fees, and Government regulations.
• Special evenings for parents of prospective students
  After school homework sessions

2. Partnering with external agencies to improve the educational outcomes of disadvantaged school students in the ACT

There are currently no low SES postcodes and no disadvantaged schools in the ACT, yet there are many disadvantaged students who are in the school system, who might benefit from academic mentoring and assistance with school work, information about entry pathways to university, and the provision of role models in the form of current university students. In partnership with external agencies (e.g. ACT schools, Rotary, The Smith Family) ANU will establish strategies to support disadvantaged students in the ACT. 

3. Alumni Engagement in Community projects

Yale alumni who visited ANU in 2008 provided an excellent model of how communities can be assisted or revitalised through well targeted and enthusiastic engagement by alumni. Following the Yale model, ANU alumni and ANU students will work with community organizations and leaders to develop and build selected regional communities still further, by contributing their time and talent on specific projects.

For more information about the program contact:

Deborah Tranter
Director
Student Equity
The Australian National University
T: (02) 6125 4806
E:  deborah.tranter@anu.edu.au

or

Laura Jardine
Administrative Assistant
Student Equity, Educational Enhancement and Quality Assurance
The Australian National University
T: (02) 6125 7593
E: laura.jardine@anu.edu.au