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Law, medicine, education, sports science - these are just some of the careers in the sights of 26 year 11 and 12 Indigenous students who are giving up part of their school holidays to come to The University of Western Australia for a WACE revision camp starting on Sunday and ending on Friday 18 July.

From as far as Broome and Fitzroy Crossing in the north and as far south as Albany, most are the only Indigenous students in their school undertaking subjects to gain an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR). The revision camp is organised by UWA's School of Indigenous Studies.

Some of the Indigenous students at the WACE revision camp are boarders at Presbyterian Ladies College, Iona, St Brigid's and St Hilda's and will give up valuable family time back home in Broome, Alice Springs, Fitzroy Crossing, Kalgoorlie and Paraburdoo to attend the camp.

All are enrolled in three subjects during the week with two hours for each subject per day totalling 30 hours in the class, giving them good revision and exam preparation for their Year 11 and 12 exams.

Many of the students have previously participated in the SIS Outreach program, which encourages Indigenous students to consider university as an option and enables them to visit UWA from Year 8.

An evening program during the week will give the students time to relax and meet like-minded students. During their free time, they will enjoy a trip to the movies and some shopping. An information session about university and a Leadership Dinner will complete the camp. UWA Indigenous students Kamsani Bin Salleh, Julia Louden, Rikki Lee Walley and Trent Haerewa will be on hand as mentors during the week and give some valuable insight into university life, as well as helping students with some study.

The School of Indigenous Studies first sponsored Indigenous students for revision classes in 2006. More than 90 per cent of these students have gone on to enrol at a university after completing secondary school, with the majority coming to UWA.

WACE Revision is part of the SIS Outreach program that includes the Year 11/12 Leadership Seminar, the Year 9/10 Science Camp and Year 8 Discovery Days. The Outreach program works in partnership with Aspire UWA and is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Industry Innovation, Climate Change Science, Research and Tertiary Education.

Media references

Ray Garrett (UWA School of Indigenous Studies)       (+61 8) 6488 4603 / (+61 4) 17 933 098

David Stacey (UWA Public Affairs)                            (+61 8) 6488 3229 / (+61 4) 32 637 716