CQUniversity recently hosted its second successful Indigenous Youth Sports Program (IYSP) for 2012, with the theme of 'Be A Champion'.

The five-day program held at the end of September attracted more than 70 Indigenous students aged 10-15 years from the Rockhampton region, following a similar event in June for students from the Central Highlands and Gladstone.

Academic Registrar Barbara Lawrence presenting a Certificate of Participation to an IYSP participant

IYSP is a partnership between CQUniversity's Widening Participation Team, Central Queensland Indigenous Development, and the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs (DATSIMA).

Students participated in about 20 workshops and clinics covering touch football, cricket and AFL as well as nutrition, health checks, 'caring for country', Darumbal language, and Indigenous games.

IYSP mentors included Indigenous and non-Indigenous CQUniversity students, Indigenous senior high school students, and Indigenous Education Workers.

"IYSP aims to build confidence and familiarity in Indigenous students to understand the opportunities available through university and ultimately to raise aspirations towards higher education," said co-organiser Melinda Mann-Yasso.

Participants gather for presentations

"We received great feedback from parents and students. Parents emphasised that their children were having 'conversations about university on the way home or around the dinner table'. Students emphasised that IYSP made them proud to be Indigenous and that uni is 'something we can do'."

External organisations that facilitated sessions at IYSP included: CQ Touch, Qld AFL, Qld Cricket, Back on Track Education and Training Services Pty Ltd,  Bidgerdii Community Health Service, Darumbal Community Youth Service, CQ Medicare Local, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Darumbal elders, and Emmaus College. A range of Indigenous community members also helped.

Daniel Yasso (CQID) presenting the IYSP 2012 Excellence Award to Cheye-Anne Lawton