Education & training

Gabrielle Duykers. Naracoorte High School has gained a new principal, Lynette Corletto, who says she is passionate about inclusive education and helping students link their learning to future pathways.

A Charles Sturt engineer, a world-famous architect and a renowned composer have transformed a water tank in Cobar into a globally recognised, sound-art masterpiece putting Cobar on the global tourist map.

A Charles Sturt University research project into planned burning ignites possibilities for conservation and restoration of critically endangered grassy ecosystems.

A female shearer is encouraging young people to consider taking up the profession as the country continues to face a shortage spurred on by the pandemic ... While Ms Doll had never expected to spend her working life in a shearing shed, the 29-year-old now couldn’t imagine her life being any different.

Charles Sturt University has contracted with Iberdrola Australia to supply renewable grid electricity for its large market sites from the Bodangora Wind Farm. The contract, established with support from energy consultant World Kinect Energy Services, will account for more than 95 per cent of Charles Sturt’s total grid electricity consumption.

Ecological planned burning is a land management tool applied to promote positive benefits for a local environment. These benefits include stimulating dormant seed banks in the soil profile, reducing the vigour or eliminating weeds, nutrient cycling and the removal of biomass - all of which promote biodiversity and ecosystem health.

For the month of February, if you have an interest in hairdressing and are between the ages of 11 and 17, you have the chance to participate in a program provided by the Deadly Hair Dude in collaboration with Julalikari, who managed to win a grant from the Department of Health to bring the program to Tennant Creek as a part of the Alcohol and Other Drugs initiative.

Geographical location is no barrier in experiencing the sounds of the Murrumbidgee wetlands, thanks to Charles Sturt University researchers ... To celebrate World Wetlands Day on Wednesday 2 February, researchers are presenting the public with the opportunity to eavesdrop on the sounds of the Murrumbidgee wetlands.

More investment in aerial incendiary fire management, greater communication and collaboration between landholder groups and neighbours, and more information about opportunities in the Carbon industry were among some of the key call-outs from the 2021 Fire Forum held in Cairns in December. Organised by Cape York Natural Resource Management, the Forum brought more than 130 people together from Cape York, the Tablelands, Brisbane and Darwin.  

Serena Kirby. Denmark Senior High School is one of only 11 public schools to make it onto WA’s list of top 50 performing schools for ATAR results. DSHS principal Katherine Ward said the results of all students over ATAR, general and VET pathways were the product of the hard work put in by students and staff.

“Denmark Baroque is about making live music in Denmark and the Great Southern. We’re about creating high-quality musical events and opportunities, normally not available outside the metropolitan areas, specifically for local and regional residents” : Vicky Wilson, Denmark Baroque chairperson.

A TAFE NSW Narrandera youth work graduate whose childhood was punctuated by hardship has vowed to help break the cycle of disadvantage in her community by pushing for the town’s first ever youth centre. Proud Wiradjuri woman Jasmin Pietsch, 26, has just completed a Certificate IV in Youth Work at TAFE NSW Narrandera and has been accepted into a Bachelor of Mental Health Science in 2022.

Kendall Jennings. Koondrook Fire Brigade rolled out the red carpet for potential recruits on Wednesday, January 19. A slideshow presentation showing what volunteer members can do in the CFA was shown, as well as a display of the unit capabilities.

Kirstin Nicholson. “With so many pools closing across the regions, kids will be using creeks, rivers, lakes and dams as their local swimming holes. If we don’t teach them how to be safe in these situations, it is highly likely that we see drowning rates increase in the future”: Mikayla Gibson, Cohuna teacher in charge.

School leavers looking for a lucrative career in the bush have the chance to join an iconic industry and help Australia recover from COVID. NSW Farmers Wool Committee Chair Helen Carrigan said a shortage of shearers meant there was good money to be made by young people who were willing to learn. Find out the details of courses between January and June 2022.

Charles Sturt University is running a survey for landholders to share their experience of carbon farming and drought planning. The insights from this research will be used to inform a formal guideline for carbon farming participants to help them plan and include drought resilience into the design of their carbon farming project.

A first of its kind to be hosted by Leading Sheep, the 10-part ‘H Series’ webinar program spanned across 2021 covering topics from health and husbandry to herding foundations and how to buy and sell sheep. Commencing in April 2021, the now completed H Series recordings are all available online.

Four senior citizens and Charles Sturt academics have chronicled how their time in multiple COVID-19 lockdowns and isolations have restored their faiths.

There was a global shortage of nurses … and then the pandemic hit. Researchers, including a Charles Sturt academic, investigate how COVID-19 has affected an already struggling nursing industry and what can be done to save it.

“I just do it to pay the dogs back for what they have given me in a lifetime,” said Ian O’Connell, legendary dog trainer as he sat atop the sheep yard fence at John Lolicato’s Tullakool property Whymoul ... this seven State Championships trialling champion and judge, farmer and former shearer demonstrates how to work with his four-legged companions with nothing but love and admiration.

A pilot program for teenager girls that focused on developing confidence, self esteem and self development has been hailed as a success. Over the course of the year, 47 girls from Napranum visited Wolverton Station, usually in groups of eight, for three days of activities on the working cattle property.

Ali Bohn. “I wanted to make the bathrooms a nice, bright space to go when you’re feeling flat and I thought a nice mural of flowers would look really good": Barham Public School Captain, Shaylah Carter.