Education & training

As a part of the School Holiday Program, local band The Last Resort has been performing series of gigs at different Town Camps each evening. Intended to help keep the kids off the streets, the gigs have been well attended by families and supported by Elders and community organisations.

Indian-born Abir moved to the Northern Territory with his family at the age of two. His parents have always supported his education but moving to Victoria to further his studies was an expensive dream not readily available. Abir was successful in his application for financial support and received the generous Mary Vernon – Country Education Foundation (CEF) Scholarship of $21,000 over three years ... Abir says, “The people you surround yourself with is your community. It can be your friendship group, your school peers and teachers or your neighbours. And when good things happen to people in your community, it rubs off on everyone.”

Kirstin Nicholson. A turtle nest – a wonderful construction, dug by the female to lay her eggs in and filled back up to keep the eggs safe from the world until they hatch up to a year later ... Despite being backfilled, the eggs are still in danger from predators like foxes and water rats. While we may not be able to easily identify a turtle nest, unfortunately a fox can ... Graham Stockfeld from Turtles Australia has been visiting the Gunbower and Cohuna area several times a year to protect the nests and collect data.

Catherine Grimley. You may see a few teal ribbons being worn during April, and the reason for that is Sexual Assault Awareness month, now in its 20th year, and just as topical as it has ever been. Tennant Creek Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) kicked the month off at the Hospital with a BBQ, cake and conversations that will hopefully carry on beyond this month.

Pam Dillon. Students from a remote Barkly school have been developing their swimming and water safety skills during a fun-filled visit to Tennant Creek. Seventeen students from Canteen Creek School hit the pool for several days of aquatic instruction under the watchful eyes of Swimming NT Pathways Manager Thomas Noblett and Barkly Sports Education Coordinator Pam Dillon.

A Tasmanian athletics icon is helping to grow a love of sport among Barkly school students. Jocelyn (Millar) Cubit, an Upper Primary Teacher at Epenarra School, south-east of Tennant Creek, boasts an impressive athletics resume, having represented Australia at three successive Commonwealth Games ... Still the holder of several Tasmanian athletics records, Jo is now devoted to inspiring remote school students.

With the support of the CEF Gwydir Learning Region, Louisa has recently made the big move to Sydney to study her dream course, a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Media and Communications at Macquarie University.

Mount Alexander Shire Council is celebrating National Playgroup Week (24-30 March) by hosting a pop up playgroup in Victory Park on Friday 26 March. Families with children aged 0-5 years are invited to come along and see what playgroup is all about. They can also try a craft activity, listen to a story, learn a new song and connect with other families.

Nicholas Rapulo. Yanco Agricultural High School students have blasted the NSW Department of Education, saying they are feeling unheard, unvalued and un-nurtured over their run-down dormitories. The girl’s dormitories have been unfit for the students for the better part of 20 years, and their promised repair has been delayed once again.

Caitlin Vlahos is 25 years old and is in charge of maintenance at Riverina Stockfeeds in Casino. As a student at Casino High School her interest in learning a trade came from doing Industrial Arts with an inspiring teacher, Chris Simpson.

Emma Pritchard. Grafton welcomed a special visitor ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8 when Senator the Honourable Marise Payne, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women spent a few hours meeting local women in business, school students and community members at a gathering at the Grafton District Services Club last week. Describing herself as very proud and privileged to have the opportunity of meeting so many Clarence Valley women, Senator Payne spoke of her ongoing career as a woman in politics and her passion for engaging with other women and encouraging them to pursue their ambitions.

Kirstin Nicholson. Former Cohuna Consolidated School pupil, Kathryn Wilson, has returned to the school she attended as a child, but this time in a teaching capacity.