Big dreams built through remote community partnership

First published by the University of Newcastle

By Shahni Wellington

If you were to ask current students at Menindee Central School what they wanted to be when they grow up, you’d get a wide range of answers.

Veterinarians, rappers, doctors, professional football players and even dolphin trainers, would appear on the list – just to name a few.

However, according to locals from the remote community in far-west NSW, around 110km south-east of Broken Hill, aspirations from this particular cohort are being spruiked for the very first time.

“I want to be a marine biologist,” 12-year-old student, Jaz Fusi said.

Despite growing up more than 1,000 kilometres from the ocean, a blossoming partnership between Menindee Central School and the University of Newcastle is creating a pathway for even bigger dreams for young people like Jaz.

“We’re doing some fun workshops and learning about what we want to do when we go to Uni,” Jaz said at the University of Newcastle’s city campus.

“Last time we came here, we dissected a squid or octopus and I want to learn more about it.”

The interview took place on Awabakal and Worimi country with a backdrop of Newcastle’s sandy shores and bustling cityscape. It followed a 16-hour bus trip from the Barkindji lakes of Menindee; a commute that was ‘worth it,’ according to the K-12 students.

For 11-year-old Lucas Meehan, he has his eyes set on the arts as his budding career.

“Basically, I’ll see what I like the most... I’m thinking about being a singer or an actor,” Lucas said.

Both students are part of the Children’s University Newcastle program to ensure young people know their options and what they are capable of.

Participants, aged between seven and 14 years, are encouraged to discover new learning experiences outside of the classroom, in their local and regional community and on campus.

The program includes 30 hours of learning, including hands-on workshops, learning and extracurricular activities, On-Campus discovery days and a formal graduation ceremony.

As the only NSW-based university offering the initiative, Newcastle has connected with primary aged students across local regions, and of course, all the way to Menindee.

Graduation is the highlight of the tertiary calendar that gives each of the students and their networks the opportunity to reflect and celebrate all their achievements. Children’s University is no exception.

Last year, Lucas, Jaz and their fellow graduates boarded the bus, once again, to attend the milestone ceremony at Newcastle’s Callaghan campus.

Amongst a sea of smiling faces and flying graduation caps, University of Newcastle Widening Participation Pathways Manager, Selina Darney, said the Menindee group were an important part of a much bigger picture.

“It’s all about getting young people excited about university, as well as learning about how to get on the university pathway that best suits them – no matter where you live or where you come from.

“It is highly educationally focused so that students get a real taste of how accessible, exciting and valuable learning is at university, and that there’s a place for you here at the University of Newcastle,” Mrs Darney said.

Since 2016, the University of Newcastle has had more than 7,500 students enrolled in the Children’s University program.

More than 1,300 students graduated across 43 primary schools last year. Twelve per cent of those students are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, of which had a 97 per cent graduation rate.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Menindee Central School was unable to attend graduation back in 2022 – with Selina and the University’s Pathways team happily taking the ceremony out to Menindee.

A graduating class of twenty-one students were recognised for completing their first year in the learning program, with more than 150 local community members in attendance to cheer them on.

Menindee Central School Principal, Fiona Kelly, says the partnership is a two-way street.

“We love the connection, and graduation was just amazing, honestly. Seeing the pride in the place, we know that that's just going to change expectations for a lot of people,” Principal Kelly said.

“It's attainable not only for that one student, but for their families where they see their brother or their sister that's got that little cap on in the photos – suddenly, university is not such a scary thing to think of for them.

“Opening their eyes to the other career opportunities out there for the students has been good. The marine biology - the kids just loved that and was something that we never really spoke about before,” she said.

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Cross-country Connection

While many students now find the coastal University to be commonplace along their learning journey, the partnership between Newcastle and Menindee has a deeper history.

In 2021, a delegation from the University, including Pro Vice-Chancellor of Indigenous Strategy and Leadership, Nathan Towney, and Head of the School of Education (SoE), Professor Susan Ledger, met with Principal Kelly, where the broader relationship began. The long-standing connection of Associate Professor, James Ladwig, a SoE researcher who had collaborated with Menindee, was foundational to the partnership.

Understanding the mutual community benefits and the opportunity to learn from each other, student teacher placements from the University of Newcastle began in Menindee later that year. It was closely followed by Menindee’s entry into the Children’s University program in 2022.

When Sarah Rooney began an internship in the final year of her teaching undergraduate degree, it was her very first time ‘out west’ to the changing landscapes of the Menindee region.

“I had no idea where Menindee even was, and I just fell in love with the place,” Ms Rooney said.

“The area is just so beautiful. I feel incredibly grateful that I have managed to secure a job out here and witness the connection the school has, not only with the community, but also to the environment.

“Going out west, all you really expect is desert and outback living. Menindee has that and so much more, with a gorgeous river running through the town and massive lakes surrounding the area.

“These natural attractions have made living out west so much more appealing to me… an added bonus on top of being a part of a community and school where everybody is always looking out for each other,” Ms Rooney said.

What started as a teaching internship has grown into something much bigger for Ms Rooney, who teaches primarily secondary English among other classes and subjects.

“I just keep staying,” Ms Rooney said.

“Honestly, I have no real desire to leave, which I laugh at now because I was originally supposed to be here for three months and now it's been nearly two years.”

Ms Rooney had her first year 12 HSC graduate from English Standard class last year. The student is now going onto university, with five English Standard students this year aiming to follow in their footsteps.

“I was so proud of her, and it is such a great success story and inspiration for the other kids,” Ms Rooney said.

“The relationship extends way beyond the classroom. You make such strong connections with the kids because the class sizes are so tiny - It's very one on one and it's very connected, it's very special,” Ms Rooney said.

The University of Newcastle may have a physical presence across the Hunter, Central Coast and broader NSW regions, but our communities stretch to Sydney, the South Pacific, Singapore, throughout Asia and across the world.

It is hoped the partnership with the remote community of Menindee will continue to grow with teachers and students alike going from strength to strength.

According to Principal Kelly, Menindee Central School is showing regional children just how big their dreams can be.

“Through Children’s University, potentially, our kids are going to be going to the University of Newcastle from basically year three right up to year eight.

“They say ‘We know this place, this is where we go,’ and I think that's what we want, so the kids just feel really, really comfortable,” Principal Kelly said.

“They'll have had that experience in a university so no matter where they go, they're going to be familiar with some aspects of it.

“We love it, we can’t wait to see where we go from here,” Principal Kelly said.