LEAP – MACQUARIE MENTORING Supporting high school students from refugee backgrounds ANNUAL REPORT 2014 LEAP ANNUAL REPORT 2014 LEAP ANNUAL REPORT 2014 Contents A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITIES 2 ABOUT US 3 EDUCATION AND THE REFUGEE EXPERIENCE 5 2014 AT A GLANCE 6 PROGRAM OUTCOMES FOR OUR MENTEES 8 PROGRAM OUTCOMES FOR OUR MENTORS 10 ABOUT THE PROGRAM 12 THE SCHOOLS 14 MENTEE AND MENTOR PROFILES 16 OTHER ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS 18 ISBN: 978-1-74138-434-5 © Macquarie University, 2015 PHOTOS: All photos by the Widening Participation Unit unless otherwise noted. COVER: Photo by Paul Wright. This document has been prepared by the Widening Participation Unit, Macquarie University. Information contained in this publication may be copied or reproduced for study, research, information or educational purposes, subject to inclusion of an acknowledgment of the source. The Widening Participation Unit, Macquarie University acknowledges the Darug Aboriginal people as the traditional custodians of the land on which Macquarie University is situated. LEAP – Macquarie Mentoring is part of Macquarie University’s LEAP (Learning, Education, Aspiration, Participation) program, delivered by the Widening Participation Unit, and funded by the Commonwealth Government’s Higher Education Participation Program. PHOTO: EFFY ALEXAKIS PHOTO: Online version is available for download from mq.edu.au/leap 2 LEAP ANNUAL REPORT 2014 A world of opportunities DEPUTY VICE-CHANCELLOR’S (ACADEMIC) MESSAGE The LEAP – Macquarie Mentoring I am particularly proud of this program (Refugee Mentoring) program is one and also of our university’s more general of the most significant manifestations commitment to the support of refugees. of our university’s commitment to service Later this year we will be the first and engagement. The program not only Australian university to grant a scholarship supports individuals it also builds long term to a client of the UK-based Commission social capacity and cohesion. Refugees are for the Assistance of Refugee Academics. the productive citizens of the future We will be welcoming a Syrian academic, and should be welcomed and given the currently a refugee in Lebanon, who will same opportunities as those enjoyed be working towards a PhD in our by other Australians. Centre of Policing, Intelligence and Counter-Terrorism. This shows our real commitment to leadership in this area and I hope that we will be able to offer further places in subsequent years. The students who join our mentoring program are outstanding young people who have often experienced and overcome difficulties and hardships which few of us, thankfully, have had to face. It is a privilege for us to meet them through this program and to add their voices to the Macquarie University conversation. PROFESSOR JOHN SIMONS LEAP ANNUAL REPORT 2014 3 About us WIDENING PARTICIPATION UNIT Widening Participation is an integral component of Macquarie University’s strategic direction as an innovative, modern and dynamic educational institution and is built upon a “commitment to inclusiveness through targeted and sustainable collaborative programs” (Our University: A Framing of Futures, 2013, Strategic Priority 3 – Aligning the nature and size of the university for the future). The Widening Participation Unit seeks to empower students affected by educational disadvantage to access higher education opportunities through targeted support programs, such as LEAP – Macquarie Mentoring (Refugee Mentoring). The Unit is committed to inclusive education and support for students who are affected by learning barriers, and seeks to empower and equip these students with the capabilities and information required to access the best outcomes. We acknowledge the value of diversity and the transformative potential of higher education for both individual students and the wider community. PHOTO: EFFY ALEXAKIS PHOTO: 4 LEAP ANNUAL REPORT 2014 DIRECTOR, 2014 also provided us with further robust REFUGEE STUDENT PROGRAMS WIDENING PARTICIPATION UNIT research into the positive outcomes of ADVISOR FROM THE NEW RUTH TREGALE the program, both from the point of SOUTH WALES DEPARTMENT OF 2014 was another exciting year for view of the mentees (see p. 8), but also EDUCATION AND COMMUNITIES the LEAP – Macquarie Mentoring our Macquarie student mentors, JANE WALLACE (Refugee Mentoring) program. It saw who reported a greater sense of belonging The Department of Education and the addition of three new schools to the University, and increased motivation Communities highly values the partnership to the program, and the successful and confidence in their own studies. it has with Macquarie University through piloting of a new branch of the program We now know of 32 former mentees who the LEAP – Macquarie Mentoring for high school students from Pacific have entered higher education, and this (Refugee Mentoring) program. Islander backgrounds. We were once again number is growing as the program matures. Young students from refugee backgrounds overwhelmed by the number of applications In 2015 we are planning to expand the face significant challenges settling into high that we received from Macquarie students program to new schools, and to increase school in Australia: making new friends, wishing to volunteer as mentors, and from interaction with local communities to learning English well enough to succeed the commitment, enthusiasm and passion further support students from refugee in their secondary studies and finding out of high school students participating backgrounds succeed in their education. about post-school options. in the program. I would like to thank everyone who has Schools support refugee students in One of the absolute highlights for me made LEAP – Macquarie Mentoring a variety of ways, however the mentoring was at the University Experience Day (Refugee Mentoring) so successful to date, program complements these beautifully held in October, when one of our former and look forward to seeing it continue by providing extra individual attention mentees from Arthur Phillip High School, to grow for many years to come. and support for refugee students. now studying in her first year at University students visit schools each Macquarie University, bravely stood up week to provide the mentoring. In the in front of 200 students and teachers from weekly sessions, they give practical the nine participating schools, as well as suggestions about study, organising time, mentors, academics and other colleagues useful resources and skills for research. from Macquarie University, and shared They take an interest in their mentees, with the audience the story of her help them work out their goals and discuss personal journey as a refugee to Australia, possible education and career pathways. and the change that our LEAP – Macquarie The high school students gain confidence Mentoring (Refugee Mentoring) program through their relationships with had made to her life. There was hardly a dry the mentors. The program helps restore eye in the room, and we were so happy young refugees’ hope and assists them to have her proud father, who had risked in developing the social capital they so much to bring his family to Australia, need for their future lives in Australia. with us in the audience. LEAP ANNUAL REPORT 2014 5 Education and the refugee experience Many school students from refugee Access to, and participation in, As part of its plan to reform the backgrounds have experienced significant higher education bestows a huge Australian higher education system, disruption to their education and may advantage on a student entering the the Federal Government has worked to have had little or no schooling prior competitive Australian job market, increase the number of students from to enrolment in an Australian school. both in terms of earning potential and disadvantaged backgrounds participating As a result, they face considerable through the building of social capital. in higher education. An important challenges in education and training. However, many students from refugee means to achieving this has been Numerous students struggle emotionally backgrounds and their families have projects undertaken by universities in and practically to acquire the language, little access to and knowledge of partnership with other stakeholders, literacy, cultural knowledge and the range of higher education including schools and communities. everyday skills required for academic options available, and possess The LEAP – Macquarie Mentoring success at high school and to progress limited networks, knowledge and (Refugee Mentoring) program is one to tertiary education. confidence to navigate the maze such partnership, recognising the need of vocational and educational for ongoing support of high school students pathways in Australia. The result from refugee backgrounds to enable and is that disproportionately low facilitate their successful transition into numbers of students from refugee higher education and future vocations. backgrounds are currently studying at Australian universities. PHOTO: EFFY ALEXAKIS PHOTO: 6 LEAP ANNUAL REPORT 2014 2014 at a glance Since commencing the program we have We piloted the Pacific Islander The LEAP – Macquarie Mentoring seen 32 former mentees transition to Mentoring program at Granville Boys (Refugee Mentoring) program entered University and many more progress High School in the second half of the year. its fourth year with the addition of into other avenues of further education, Following on from the success of the pilot, three new partner schools