Indigenous Opportunities
In supporting our Indigenous students, we have a number of specialised workers across the college, including a Koorie Wellbeing Officer and two Koorie mentors.
Our Koorie Wellbeing Officer provides assistance to students and works closely with their teachers, families, and community to help students engage in their education, following the Marrung Aboriginal Education Plan 2016-2026, and to celebrate and connect with their Aboriginality. Our Koorie Wellbeing Officer is linked in with our local Indigenous community and liaises closely with them to support our students and their families in a culturally appropriate manner, enabling them to engage fully in their education and achieve their goals. The Koorie Wellbeing Officer works tirelessly to bring greater cultural awareness to both our Indigenous and non-Indigenous students and the school community. This is done by organising cultural events and activities across the college, providing access and opportunities for our young Indigenous students to grow their cultural knowledge, awareness, and understanding of their Indigeneity.
Our Koorie Mentors provide in-class support to our students when needed and help keep students focused and on track with their work. They play an integral role in engaging our students and are key to creating a safe and supportive classroom environment for our Indigenous students to thrive.
Easy Learning Homework Club
The purpose of this program is to allow students to come in after school and catch up on learning they may have missed in earlier school years or in their current school year. This is a time where students can go back to the very basics such as learning times tables, telling the time through both analog and digital and other maths, learning how to write as in formulating letters, basic English and any other learning area that the student may feel they need support in. Students have access to teachers and tutors.
RMIT Indigenous Program
For the last four years, Kurnai College and the Smith Family have been involved in the RMIT – I Belong Program.
This program was developed for Indigenous students from Years 9 – 11 to attend RMIT in Melbourne to experience life as a university student, and how urban living differs from country living. The students are exposed to various certificates, diplomas, bridging courses and other university degrees that can be offered from RMIT.
Over the last two years, the students have attended the RMIT Bundoora Campus to see how this differs from the city campus. Whilst at Bundoora, students are given the opportunity to be placed in simulated environments to experience that area of study. For example, for nursing, students are taken to a room with mannequins where they can observe the procedure being implemented and take observation notes.
Transition Evening
In November each year, Kurnai College holds a transition evening for Indigenous families with Grade 6 students transitioning into Year 7 and for Indigenous families of Year 10 students transitioning into Year 11. Families have the opportunity to connect and meet other families in a relaxed environment. They have the ability to tour each of the campuses and ask as many questions as they like. The aim is for our Indigenous families to feel comfortable with their decision to send their child to Kurnai College and to recognise that this school is inclusive, supportive and welcoming.
AIME
The AIME mentoring program uses University students from Federation University Australia, both indigenous and non-indigenous, to support Indigenous students through their studies. Students learn to be comfortable with their own identity – focusing on themselves as an individual, building self-esteem and confidence and identifying with their culture. They learn about being a leader and the skills required to be an effective leader. Students are presented with opportunities and connections to assist them when leaving school. The mentors also come along during Term 2 and 3 to support students with learning during the homework clubs.
Kurnai College has been involved in the AIME program since 2014.
Dedlee Kultya
We are very proud of our Dedlee Kultya Dancers, who are all students from Kurnai College.
The Dedlee Kultya are proud of their Aboriginal heritage and with the help of Uncle Wayne Thorpe, they learn, create and perform dances.
Some of the dances are adapted from traditional dances and some are modern interpretations.
They dance to connect with their heritage. They dance for themselves and their culture.
Dedlee Kultya members are happy to share their dances, but ask that you remember they are not professional performers.
They dance because they can!
