Football is being used to promote higher education. Picture: puuikibeach/Flickr
A program run for indigenous high school students by a local football club is providing more than just sporting opportunities in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.
A joint project run by the Koorie Academy of Excellence and La Trobe University is seeking to provide indigenous students with a platform to achieve a higher education, through the use of a mentor program.
The project is the first of its kind not only for the University but also in Australia, using students involved with La Trobe University Football Club as mentors for the teenagers.
The KAE’s business development manager, Lynelle Diamond, believes that LTUFC is demonstrating its leadership as a student body as well as supporting the need to improve Koorie participation at a tertiary level.
“Many KAE students have no family members or other close contacts that have had direct university experience,” said Ms Diamond.
“LTUFC has stepped forward to provide such resources in the form of volunteers to act as mentors to each group of Koorie students.”
The role of the mentors is to provide understanding to university life beyond the academic, to be open in discussions about the good and bad sides of being students as well as providing tutoring assistance in areas relating to their field of study.
“As the volunteers are closer to their own age and are also currently studying at university they have a lot of street cred,” said Ms Diamond on the relationship between the students and mentors.
Although the program has only been in operation for two years there are already over 30 new KAE members in 2013 alone, with the academy boasting 100% school retention rates for students involved in the KAE.
LTUFC Indigenous Gateways Program mentoring coordinator, Imogen McKee, believes the program allows the opportunity for the mentors to ‘give back’ to the community and to be a part of shaping the future for indigenous youth.
“As a club we strive to demonstrate our leadership in the LTU student body, and as a community our commitment is to utilise our playing and supporter base for the achievement of goals beyond the boundary line,” Ms McKee said.
Program mentor and university student, Luke Hooke said; “Such an initiative, to contribute to the education and development of indigenous youths, is something I’m excited to be part of.”
“These young people are the Koorie leaders of the future and as a community it is our responsibility they are not left behind,” said Ms Diamond.
Data from the 2011 census showed that about 12% of Victoria’s indigenous population had completed qualifications from higher education institutions.
