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Thursday, 11 September 2014

Indigenous students at St Catherine's College are being offered massive support through a new agreement between the residential college and resources company Woodside .

The company recently awarded 13 full degree scholarships to St Catherine's residents, as part of the College's unique Banbjoo Darbalung program.

College head Fiona Crowe said their  program had an impressive track record and the College would provide quarterly reports to Woodside on the progress of the students and activities of the program.

Banbjoo Darbalung, which means together mixing (related to the Swan River near the College, where fresh and salt water mix) includes an Indigenous cultural centre; cultural workshops and discussions; intensive individual tutorials; organised study evenings three nights a week; opportunities to explore and express identity with language groups, meetings with Elders, an art studio and music program; leadership opportunities such as the College's Indigenous students mentoring high schools students in schools in the metropolitan area and running an exchange  program with high school students in Halls Creek.

"The College has more than 20 partner organisations and, most importantly, is advised in all aspects of the program by an Indigenous Advisory Board with senior Indigenous representatives from the Noongar  community as well as Indigenous representatives from all the regions from which our students come," Ms Crowe said.

"The program supplements the excellent work done by the School of Indigenous Studies and similar departments and programs at other universities, providing 24/7 support and opportunities for our Indigenous students."

The scholarships, valued between $12,500 and $15,000 each, contribute towards the cost of living at the College. The funding also provides laptops for students as well as a significant contribution to the running costs of the Banbjoo Darbalung program.

"Around 20-30 per cent of students at any one time attend universities other than UWA, the primary commitment of the College being to assist Indigenous students to close the gap in educational outcomes," Ms Crowe said.

"Students may begin a course at one university but find they are more interested or better suited to a course provided by another university:so the College supports this flexibility of choice. To my knowledge we are the only College that provides this opportunity.

"An amazingly progressive step by Woodside is that it also supports Indigenous women who do not traditionally study engineering and physical sciences (the courses which could result in a career with the company), because it is the women who are an enormous force as community builders.

"Work experience will be developed as an added bonus offered to students in the field of their discipline which may not necessarily be at Woodside. They are not required to work as cadets as such to keep their scholarships," she said.

St Catherine's currently has 50 Indigenous student residents .

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