Education & training

Have you ever noticed it is always the same people who volunteer and involve themselves in all aspects of the community? Regional and rural Australia would not be the same without our army of volunteers, community leaders, and people who put their hands up to lend a hand for the betterment of the community.

A groundbreaking animal growth and welfare monitoring, detection and notification system has been awarded the annual AgriFutures Research Award for 2023 ... the runner up, DryRice research, focused on enhancing rice genotypes and ensuring sustainable development in the rice industry.

Nadia. Last term 17 students and six staff participated in a major excursion to Uluru and the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands in the Far North of South Australia ... The group was lucky to experience some rarely seen events; waterfalls on Uluru and it shrouded in cloud and mist.

Popular local apprentice butcher Claire Keleher is an entrant in the Australian Meat Industry Council’s Apprentice of the Year competition. Competing last week in Brisbane at State level, Claire showed her skills amongst the best in the business. Out of fourteen entrants only Claire and another entrant were school based, with many of the others being at the end of their apprenticeships.

A workshop to look at Native Vegetation thinning and cultural burning for forest and pasture health will be held at Cunningham ... Join Dave Lawler from the Department of Resources for veg thinning advice and Robbie Williams from Fire Lore for a cultural burning talk and demonstration.

A collaboration between renowned street artist Austin ‘Nitsua’ and Lawrence Public School students has produced a spectacular mural on the local water tower that tells the story of the magical eternal flow of the Clarence River winding its way through the valley to the ocean ... “Originally the ideas for the design came from the kids at the school and I incorporated their words into the finished design”: Austin ‘Nitsua’.

A leader has a responsibility to role model a resilient mindset to overcome difficult times. Nothing goes to plan. Especially living in regional Australia there are always challenges ... Optimistic people are more resilient than pessimistic people. As Henry Ford famously quoted: “If you think you can - you are absolutely right! …. If you think you cannot – you are absolutely right!”

Haileybury Rendall School (HRS) has announced plans to bring the first private online school to the Northern Territory. The arrival of Haileybury Pangea will make HRS the only school in the Top End to offer day, boarding and online schooling. Haileybury Pangea will welcome its first students from across the Northern Territory to their virtual classrooms in 2024.

With Year 12 students soon to begin their university applications, we thought we’d take a look at the success of one of Kerang’s former students, Glenn Thomas ... is a graphic designer in Melbourne, and he shared his graphic design journey with us, proving that kids from the country can chase and realise their dreams.

Will Hunter. Rural medicine has received a boost as regional Australia continues to face a severe shortage of general practitioners and healthcare staff. The federal government has allocated $114.2 million over four years to permanently increase the number of Commonwealth-supported placements available to rurally trained university students.

From the dance studio to the great outdoors, ballerina Ms Valerie Tereshchenko has proven it’s never too late to try something new. Studying, performing and mastering the art of ballet for 25 years, the Ukraine-born ballerina took on a new challenge by studying a  Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management  with the help of  Charles Sturt University’s online study options.

The George the Farmer story began in 2012 when founder Simone Kain was trawling the internet looking for farming books and apps for her farm-obsessed son George ... "I quickly discovered there wasn't a human farming character globally who was telling sequential stories about life on the land for children, let alone a modern Aussie farmer telling real, relatable yarns," she said.

The Victorian Government’s recent decision to cancel the Commonwealth Games in regional Victoria once again demonstrates two things. Firstly, for a leader to be trusted, any up front promises and subsequent actions and lived experiences must align. Secondly, regional Australians must be able to adapt quickly to the incompetent decisions governments make. This is often and many.

An attendance of 350 of all ages was entertained by George the Farmer at the Birchip Public Hall ... “I think it’s very important, especially living in a rural location, that we give our young people equal opportunity and expose them to live productions,” organiser Carling McEvoy said. Whilst also providing  entertainment, George the Farmer concerts aim to educate children on where their food comes from and inspire the next generation of farmers.

IAHA is a national organisation that enhances the allied health sector in Australia by providing support, training, and maintaining networks ... On Thursday morning, a team from IAHA was at Battery Hill to give senior high school students a glimpse into the work of allied health workers.

Kristin Murdock . While the Adelaide Royal Show is not until September, the Naracoorte High School Agricultural Studies students are already preparing for the challenge ... At the start of this term, six keen Year 9 Agriculture students from NHS attended the SE Cattle Handlers Camp.

As school started back on Tuesday, there has been a noticeable increase in police presence on the roads to ensure the safety of students. Drivers are reminded to take extra care and watch out for students.

Denmark Senior High School students have woven rugs from discarded fabrics to be stitched together in a vast dot replica painting to fill mining craters in the Goldfields. Denmark woman Vivienne Robertson created the Reclaim the Void project in collaboration with Ngalia cultural custodian Kado Muir.

Narrandera Landcare and Murrumbidgee Landcare were blessed with perfect winter weather for their frog hotel making workshop during the school holidays. The workshop at the Community Food Garden was very well attended and the tree frogs around Narrandera will have no shortage of accommodation places in the immediate future.

The Show Horse Council of Australasia’s NSW/ACT Youth Development and Championship Showcase was a brilliant idea, executed perfectly. Held at the Hawkesbury Showgrounds and designed be a youth development program as well as a qualifying event for the Grand National Show, it offered something for every young rider.

Megan has been appointed the new Principal of the Allora P-10 State School after the retirement of Shaun Kanowski at the end of last term. Megan Rauchle took over the reins of Allora P-10 State School at the start of this term. She is a passionate teacher and believes in an all inclusive school where students, staff and teachers are successful and reach their capability.