CQUniversity's Widening Participation team recently held a ‘What's My Future?' event at Eidsvold State School, for students in Years 7-12.

Eidsvold State School Principal, Norah Murphy, was pleased with the program and is looking forward to developing a good partnership with the Widening Participation team.

A physics exercise helps focus career discussions

Eidsvold State School is a small co-educational P-12 school with approximately 100 students, located 425km north-west of Brisbane and 230km west of Maryborough, between Mundubbera and Monto. 

The ‘What's My Future' event was opened by Wakka Wakka elder, Aunty Yvonne Chapman, who conducted the Welcome to Country, highlighted the importance of further education and expressed her appreciation of the University's commitment to working with the students.

The event was facilitated by Annette Thompson, Outreach Program Officer from the Bundaberg Campus.  Annette was accompanied by a diverse team which included Melinda Mann, Indigenous Outreach Officer from the Rockhampton Campus, Professor Phil Brown, Horticultural and Vegetable and Crop Science Research Leader, three Bachelor of Music students, a Communications student, and a future Engineering student who is currently completing the LIFT enabling program. 

Students listened to introductory discussions about the various pathways to university, as well as hearing the personal learning journeys of two visiting team members. 

Music students helped present the day

The students were especially captivated by Melinda's learning journey and, after hearing her story, they gained the confidence to ask questions about her experiences at university. 

The students spent the remainder of the day participating in a variety of activities ranging from environmental science and music, to marketing and physics activities developed by the Division of Marketing.

Feedback about this event included comments such as "The day was very awesome and interesting", "It was cool and I like the whole thing" and "Very good...you should come back again!"

In 2011, the Widening Participation team is delivering a range of innovative Outreach programs in 31 high schools and 107 primary schools in the Central Queensland region and Indigenous-specific activities in three primary schools, including Eidsvold.

Outreach programs are delivered exclusively to schools in low socio-economic areas and aim to encourage students to consider higher education.

Later this year, the students from Eidsvold State School will participate in their first out-of-town excursion in several years to Bundaberg and Rockhampton, where they will complete further University Experience activities.