Fifty Indigenous Year 12 students from around metropolitan Perth and from as far north as Kununurra and as far south as Albany will come to The University of Western Australia next week for a leadership seminar.

For some of the students it will be their first visit to UWA but many are already familiar with the campus, having visited for residential camps since they were in Year 8.

The seminar, organised by UWA's School of Indigenous Studies (SIS), aims to encourage the Year 12s to aspire to a tertiary education and will enable them to meet Indigenous students already at UWA.

The Year 12s will visit various UWA disciplines including Arts; Architecture, Landscape and Visual Design; Geology; Sports Science; Business and Engineering depending on their interests.  They will also be taken on a tour of University Hall, the home of many Indigenous students while they are studying at UWA.

They will meet the University's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Paul Johnson, Indigenous Rights Manager with Amnesty International and Law graduate Tammy Solonec, and respected Aboriginal leaders including Dr Richard Walley and staff from SIS at a special morning tea at the University Club of Western Australia at 9.30am on Tuesday 14 April.  Media are welcome to attend.

The students come from the metropolitan area as well as Broome, Bunbury, Derby, Narrogin, Kununurra, Wyndham, Northam, York, Kalbarri, Port Hedland, Paraburdoo and Tom Price.

They are staying at the Point Walter Recreation and Conference Centre from Monday 13 April until Friday 17 April. 

Since 1988 the School of Indigenous Studies has enabled nearly 300 Indigenous students to graduate in fields such as medicine, dentistry, engineering, law, health science, sports science, business and the arts.

Media references

Brendon DeGois (UWA School of Indigenous Studies Student Services Officer)  (+61 8) 6488 3847 / (+61 4) 14 371 179
David Stacey (UWA Media and Public Relations Manager)  (+61 8) 6488 3229 / (+61 4) 32 637 716