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A team of 12 engineering student ambassadors from The University of Western Australia's Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics touched down in Broome last week to take part in the Kimberley Cup, an annual school sporting carnival coordinated by Broome Senior High School.

Led by a team of education specialists from UWA's Aspire program and School of Indigenous Studies and assisted by current UWA Indigenous students from the Kimberley region, the engineering students helped out with sporting activities and ran hands-on engineering activities designed to get high school students excited about higher education and careers in Engineering and Science.

When the ambassadors were asked why they wanted to visit the Broome community and make a difference, engineering and physics student Jordan Ding said: "I saw this trip as a rare opportunity to give back what UWA has given me over the past few years.  I was lucky to be given the chance to excel and I hope to motivate other school children to achieve their best."

Another engineering student, Charlotte Newton, said she had been keen to use her time in Broome to smash down some stereotypes about engineers.

"I'm a ‘girly-girl" and wanted to explain that you don't have to be ‘geeky' to enjoy science and engineering," she said.

In addition to the school activities, the group also used the trip to discover more about local Indigenous culture, spending time with local families whose family members have studied at UWA and visiting Minyirr Park, where ranger Micklo Corpus helped the group imagine life 40,000 years ago by relating stories about the techniques Aboriginal people used to hunt, heal wounds and create medicines.

This year's trip to Broome is a follow-up to the ‘UWA Gives Back' event held in July 2013, when the Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics partnered with Aspire UWA to engage schools, community, alumni and industry across the Kimberley region as part of UWA's Centenary celebrations.

Media references

Rob Blandford (+61 8) 6488 7886
David Stacey (UWA Media Manager)  (+61 8) 6488 3229 / (+61 4) 32 637 716