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Influencing the Key Influencers: Strategies and Resources for Engagement in Regional Australia

1 January 2015 to 31 March 2016

Dr Judy Skene, The University of Western Australia

The project that resulted in the production of this report was funded under a National Priorities Pool (Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program) grant from the Commonwealth. The recipient of the grant has granted the Commonwealth the right to sub-licence the material in this report. Copyright in the report remains with the original copyright owners.

Except where otherwise indicated, and save for any material protected by a trade mark, the Department of Education and Training, acting on behalf of the Commonwealth, has applied the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.

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Modifications: Changed to meet WCAG 2.0 accessibility requirements. Alternate text inserted for all images. Minor typographical errors corrected.

Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Programme (HEPPP)2014 National Priorities Pool FINAL REPORT

Influencing the Key Influencers: Strategies and Resources for Engagement in Regional Australia

1 January 2015 to 31 March 2016

Name of university The University of Western AustraliaName of contact officer Dr Judy SkenePosition title Associate Director, Student Support ServicesEmail address [email protected] number (08) 6488 2424

In accordance with the Conditions of Grant, you must submit to the Department a Final Report (Clause 6.1 of Part A) and an Acquittal Report (clause 6.4 of Part A).

To meet this obligation, please submit:

the completed Final Report template, in Word and PDF the completed and signed Declaration form, in PDF the completed Acquittal Report template, in Excel and PDF.

All documents must be submitted to [email protected] by 31 March 2016.*If you require additional guidance or clarification please contact [email protected].

*An extension was granted for this project until 31 March 2016; therefore the deadline for the final report was extended to 30 April 2016.

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ContentsList of Tables......................................................................................................................31. PROJECT SUMMARY (Conditions of Grant, clause 2.2(a)-(e) of Part A)............................4

Objectives.............................................................................................................................4Project Activities, Milestones and Key Performance Indicators...........................................4Highlights and Issues............................................................................................................5

2. OTHER PROJECT MATERIAL (Conditions of Grant, clause 2.2 (b)-(e) of Part A).................93. ACQUITTAL REPORT (Conditions of Grant, clause 6.4(e), clause 6.7-8 of Part A)............10DECLARATION..................................................................................................................11APPENDIX 1: Project Activities, Milestones and Key Performance Indicators: Aspire UWA (Influencing the Key Influencers)......................................................................................12APPENDIX 2: External Evaluation......................................................................................20APPENDIX 3: Testimonials from Aspire UWA activities.....................................................24APPENDIX 4: EPHEA Conference Presentation..................................................................25APPENDIX 5: Mid West Principals Conference Presentation.............................................29APPENDIX 6: Letter from External Auditor........................................................................32

List of TablesTable 1: Project objectives.......................................................................................................4Table 2: Project activities, milestones and KPIs........................................................................4Table 3: Additional materials produced over the course of the project...................................9Program Coordination............................................................................................................12Activities and Resources in Schools........................................................................................13Activities in the Community...................................................................................................16Activities Online..................................................................................................................... 17Action Research......................................................................................................................18

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1. PROJECT SUMMARY (Conditions of Grant, clause 2.2(a)-(e) of Part A)Objectives

Table 1: Project objectives

IDENTIFIED OBJECTIVE EXTENT TO WHICH THE OBJECTIVE WAS METImprove access to higher education for regional and remote students from low socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds by designing and implementing innovative strategies and resources to engage and inform their key influencers: parents, teachers and community leaders.

Influencing the Key Influences met and, in many instances, exceeded this objective by developing a comprehensive suite of resources and strategies to engage students, teachers, parents and the wider community as outlined in the activity summary (attachment 1). The effectiveness and quality of the resources developed was confirmed through the External Evaluation conducted by Dr Ann Jardine, UNSW (attachment 2).

Project Activities, Milestones and Key Performance Indicators

A detailed statement outlining the project activities, milestones and KPIs is attached (attachment 1).

Some project highlights are included below:

Table 2: Project activities, milestones and KPIs

TIME FRAME

PLANNED ACTIVITIES AND MILESTONES

PROJECT ACTIVITIES AND MILESTONES COMPLETED

IDENTIFIED KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS OUTCOME

End March 2015

Establish relationships with community organisations in Perth, Geraldton and Carnarvon

Relationships established with: WA Centre for

Rural Health The City of Greater

Geraldton Durack Institute Midwest Joblink Aboriginal

Workforce Development Centre

Mingenew Lions Shire of Carnarvon Grains Research

and Development Corporation

Strengthened previously established

Sustainable relationships developed with at least two community organisations and plans made for future collaborations

Sustainable relationships developed and maintained with 10 community and government organisations and plans made for future collaborations in 2016 and beyond.

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TIME FRAME

PLANNED ACTIVITIES AND MILESTONES




relationships with: Scitech Discovery

Centre Geraldton

University CentreEnd Dec 2015

School visits conducted to Partner Schools in the Mid-West in conjunction with Aspire UWA core activities

During Aspire UWA school visits, students from Years 5 to 12 participated in: Aspire UWA core

activities Career

development workshops including:

I̵ Yr 5/6: Find your future

I̵ Yr 10: UniDiscovery & Study skills

I̵ Yr 12: The Next Step & Career conversations

At least 300 students will participate in classroom based workshops

1,244 students participated in core Aspire UWA workshops, while an additional 592 students participated in career development workshops.

Participation in community events and expos in the Midwest

Prepared for and engaged in six community events in the Mid West

Influencing the key influencers project to have a presence at minimum of three community events and expos

Presence at 6 different community events that engaged more than 2000 community members Mingenew

Midwest Expo Sense of Direction

Expo (Geraldton) WACRH Careers

Presentation Astronomy

Community Event (Carnarvon)

Scitech Science Awareness Festival (Geraldton)

Geraldton Universities Centre Open Day

Highlights and Issues

Influencing the key influencers successfully developed a range of resources and strategies to engage the desired audience. Key highlights and achievements include:

Resource development for use in the classroom: These activities are well received by students and teachers alike (attachment 3). The Year 12 activity created: ‘Made

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me view the application and getting into uni more seriously, so sparked me to work a lot harder’ student, Year 12 student, Geraldton Senior College. Many of the activities have since been embedded in the core program of activities and adapted for use across the whole Aspire UWA program. For example the Year 12 activity developed through this project for the Mid West region has thus far engaged 392 students in Perth partner schools. ‘It has boosted confidence about the pathway to university timeline and available choices… a very valuable program especially for students who are academically capable but who may not feel confident about university’. Academic Enrichment Program Coordinator, Belmont City College.

Resources have been well received across the sector: As a result of the various collaborations established through this project, to date, three organisations have approached the University to utilise the tools and information contained in the resources. The 2015 EPHEA conference was also an effective forum for universities across Australia to access the resources developed. As noted by Dr Jardine, ‘the resources developed… will be valuable additions to the resources used by classroom teachers and by outreach teams in other universities.’

Community engagement: The strategy developed to engage key influencers at community events was well received and has since been adapted for use across the broader Aspire UWA program. This strategy received external endorsement when the UWA stand was awarded the ‘Best Business and Technology Display’ at the Mingenew Lions Midwest Expo. The use of Student Ambassadors was ‘particularly successful in enabling conversations about degree choices and university life to take place’ (Jardine, 2016). 1320 community members were engaged through this project.

Institutional change: Collaboration with the UWA Careers Centre enriched the resources developed and led to professional development opportunities for Aspire UWA staff. The success of this collaboration was also instrumental in Aspire UWA securing external funds to expand to the Peel region, forming partnerships with 11 schools and extending the collaboration with the Careers Centre.

Did you undertake an evaluation of your project?

Yes X No

Participatory action research methodology was embedded in Influencing the key influencers and included the following elements:

Regular internal meetings for activity refinement: scheduled meetings took place throughout the project resulting in continual improvement and refinement of the resources and activities.

Use of a field journal: The team used a field journal detailing staff reflections and anecdotal evidence collected during school visits and community events. This proved to be an effective tool to document valuable information and use of a field journal has since been adopted across the whole Aspire UWA program.

The Aspire UWA Evaluation Framework was adopted for use throughout this project which included focus groups with teachers and student surveys. 686 students from all 17 schools across the Mid West and Gascoyne completed the survey with the following findings:

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45% of the students identified as being First in Family 58% of students indicated that they would like to attend university after high school 61% of students indicated that their family were their key influencers in deciding to

go to university; followed by teacher(s) at 31% and friends at 25%; (Please note that students could select multiple responses).

In addition, an external evaluation (attachment 2) was conducted by Dr Ann Jardine, Director, AimHigh, UNSW. This involved participation in the initial two-day planning and research forum held at the beginning of the project and the observation of the project’s community engagement strategy and resources during a remote Midwest community expo. Key findings from Dr Jardine’s report included:

Attendance at large events such as Agricultural shows is a sound strategy for meeting with a wide range of people within a community. These events draw in locals and enable connections to be made outside the school community.

The positive outcomes for engaging with the community at major events are two way. Not only did this event gain visibility for the UWA work within the Mid West community, and start those important conversations with key influencers, it also enabled the Aspire UWA team to have a deeper understanding of the types of information such key influencers want and the concerns that exist in regional areas about going to university. This in turn will help to shape their [Aspire UWA’s] work going forward.

The [why choose University] poster is an excellent resource for careers teachers, as it provides them with information and data that would be very difficult for them to collate themselves… It is also a very good tool for outreach teams to use with senior school students, especially when making that important link between classroom, degree and career.

In conclusion, it is clear that Aspire UWA has met the aims of their project. The value of the range of resources developed as part of the UWA HEPPP National Priorities project cannot be underestimated.

Where applicable, indicate number of the following resulting from this project:

Student contacts 2,690Journal (or other publication) submissions N/AConference Presentations 2Websites developed 1

http://www.studyat.uwa.edu.au/aspire-uwa/high-school-students/career-resources

Educational or marketing campaigns N/ACommunity organisations engaged 10Schools engaged 17

The only issue faced during this project was regarding ‘Go to Uni’ app. It was developed by the University to make resources and information available for university students and secondary school students engaged through the university outreach programs. While it has effectively engaged current UWA students, it was less successful in engaging high school

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students and their families. Therefore the UWA website was used as a vehicle to share the resources created, and teachers have been encouraged to access them here.

Tangible resources shared when engaging students and their key influencers face-to-face have proved to be the most successful method in informing key influencers about the options for Higher Education and moving forward. It is envisaged that this will continue to be the primary method used to promote access to Higher Education.

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2. OTHER PROJECT MATERIAL (Conditions of Grant, clause 2.2 (b)-(e) of Part A)[List the titles of any published reports, pamphlets or other documentation produced in the course of the Project and attach them to this Final Report.]

Table 3: Additional materials produced over the course of the project

TYPE AUTHOR DATE OF PUBLICATION PUBLICATION DETAILSConference Presentation Elisa McGowan and

Louise Pollard10 November 2015 Influencing the key

influencers: strategies and resources for engagement in regional Western Australia (attachment 4)

Conference Presentation Elisa McGowan and Dr Judy Skene

20 March 2015 Midwest Principals Conference. Aspire UWA: Supporting Career Development in the Midwest (attachment 5)

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3. ACQUITTAL REPORT (Conditions of Grant, clause 6.4(e), clause 6.7-8 of Part A)Have you fully expended the Grant Funds provided under the Conditions of Grant?

Yes X No

The Acquittal Report is attached to this Final Report along with a letter from the Auditor confirming the successful audit of income and expenditure through this project (attachment 6). An Excel version is provided separately, as requested.

University: The University of Western AustraliaProject Title: Influencing the Key Influencers

INCOME BUDGETED(Jan 2015 – 31 Dec 2015)

ACTUAL(Jan 2015 – March 2016)

Grant funds $347,650.00 $347,650.00Other HEPPP funds $0.00 $0.00University funding $0.00 $0.00Other income sources (interest) $0.00 $6,227.21Total Income $347,650.00 $353,877.21EXPENDITURE (Please list each item and its cost, including all line items in your Conditions of Grant, in a separate row)

BUDGETED ACTUAL

Administration $30,000.00 $3,507.16Staffing $159,050.00 $197,342.12Travel $63,500.00 $25,186.15Marketing and Promotion $10,000.00 $744.09Resource Development $40,000.00 $62,773.27Education Support $30,100.00 $64,717.67Research & Evaluation $15,000.00 $3,028.83Other $0.00 $0.00Total Expenditure $347,650.00 $357,299.29Closing Balance $0.00 -$3,422.08

Signature________________________________

Date____________________________________

(Please see attachment 6 for Auditors signature).

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DECLARATION I declare that:

I am authorised by the university to sign this Declaration on its behalf, and to the best of my knowledge, the information that I have provided in the Final

Report and Acquittal Report for the HEPPP 2014 National Priorities Pool project Influencing the Key Influencers is true, correct and accurate in all particulars.

I understand that:

The provision of false or misleading information or the making of false or misleading statements to the Commonwealth is a serious offence under the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).

If any actual or potential conflict of interest arises, I must notify the Commonwealth immediately in writing of the facts giving rise to the actual or potential conflict of interest and to take such steps as the Commonwealth may require so as to resolve or otherwise deal with any conflict of interest that may arise.

Title ProfessorName Paul Johnson Position Chief Executive Officer (Vice-Chancellor)Signature

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APPENDIX 1: Project Activities, Milestones and Key Performance Indicators: Aspire UWA (Influencing the Key Influencers)

2015 2016 TotalStudents 2018 672 2690Teachers 81 38 119Community members 1067 981 2048

Program Coordination

TIMEFRAME PLANNED ACTIVITIES AND MILESTONES




End March 2015

Project Plan developed Recruit staff

Project Plan was developed and endorsed by the project team

Project co-ordinator and Administrative Assistants were recruited and trained

Completed Project Plan Staff recruited

3 staff members were recruited to deliver this project working alongside staff within Aspire UWA and UWA Careers Centre

Establish relationships with community organisations in Perth, Geraldton and Carnarvon (e.g. Workforce Development Centre and the Aboriginal Workforce Development Centre)

Relationships established with WA Centre for Rural Health The City of Greater Geraldton Durack Institute Midwest Joblink Aboriginal Workforce

Development Centre Mingenew Lions Shire of Carnarvon Grains Research and

Development Corporation

Sustainable relationships developed with at least 2 community organisations and plans made for future collaborations

Sustainable relationships developed and maintained with 10 community and government organisations and plans made for future collaborations in 2016 and beyond

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Strengthened previously established relationships with: Geraldton Universities Centre Scitech Discovery Centre

End April 2016

Influencing the key Influencers Final Report completed and submitted including: Key achievements outlined Progress against Key

Performance Indicators Evaluation Report

Report completed and submitted Report for the Influencing the key Influencers Project completed and disseminated to stakeholders

Final report distributed to stakeholders

Activities and Resources in Schools





End June 2015

Development of resources and activities for use during school visits: Students: including take-home

resources for students to use and share

Activities developed for students include: Year 6/7 Find your future board

game activity Year 12 activities incl. 52 student

profile bingo cards, university application worksheet, and card sort activity for choosing university study majors

Resources developed include: 3 x factsheets about university

finance, housing and study options relevant to students, teachers and parents

Personality Wheel worksheet created to help students discover

Student resources developed in consultation with stakeholders, school partners and community organisations; ready to be distributed during Mid-West school visits

119 teachers were provided the activity and resource packs along with suggestions for classroom activities by the end of the project

7 print resources are available online for teachers to download and distribute freely

51 Year 11 camp participants given fact sheet resources to guide their decision making

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their unique attributes and abilities

Digital and print teacher resources, activities and accompanying lesson plans: with a focus on career guidance; employability skills; UWA’s ‘Go to Uni’ App and associated tools

Teacher resources developed include: 4 x A0 posters for classrooms

highlighting 20 real student stories alongside university and career information

Series of A5 postcard flyers about university and Mid West career statistics

Adapted Career Bullseyes resource acquired for Mid West teachers to use in classroom, combined with a tailored lesson plan

On-line and print teacher resources and support materials including lesson plans, are developed in consultation with stakeholders and community organisations; ready for distribution during Mid-West school visits

Resources and lesson plans embedded into 38 school visits, 2 professional development sessions, and both Year 9 and Year 11 camps at UWA

Resources available online for teachers and community partners to download, distribute and use in the classroom

Printed resources also made available at community events for teachers and community members to take home

End December 2015

School visits conducted to Partner Schools in the Mid-West in conjunction with Aspire UWA core activities (Years 5 – 12) where the following activities are conducted: Classroom based workshops are

conducted for students to prepare them for Senior School subject selection and improve their employability skills

Individual career advice sessions conducted for identified students (and their parent and/or guardian) by a professional Career Adviser. Prior to the session, students are to complete an online career decision making

During Aspire UWA school visits, students from Years 5 to 12 participated in: Aspire UWA core activities Career development workshops

including:- Yr 5/6: Find your future- Yr 10: UniDiscovery & Study skills- Yr 12: The next step & Career

conversations 1-on1 career advice sessions with

a qualified career advisor, including an online component called New Directions

Year 12 students participate in WACE Revision sessions

At least 300 students will participate in classroom based workshops

At least 10 students identified by schools complete the online career decision making program; and participate in a follow up career advice session facilitated by a professional Career Adviser

At least 40 Year 12 students to register for, and attend WACE Revision workshops

1244 students participated in core Aspire UWA workshops, while an additional 592 students participated in career development workshops

18 students participated in career counselling sessions including the online component

59 students registered and attended WACE Revisions workshops

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program through the UWA website

WACE Revision sessions organised for Year 12 students

Professional Development sessions are conducted for school staff, where they are introduced to the resources developed, and the tools available through the UWA website and UWA’s ‘Go to Uni’ App

Staff participated in Professional Development (PD) sessions, including Personality Dimensions Career PD, and Science PD delivered by Spice on campus at UWA

At least 15 teachers from Mid-West partner schools will participate in a PD session; receive resources and support materials; are introduced to UWA’s ‘Go to Uni’ App

Teachers, students and parents subscribe for UWA’s ‘Go to Uni’ App

Positive feedback recorded from all activities conducted during school visits

17 teachers completed a Professional Development activity and received resources pack (detailed above)

See Attachment 3 to read the positive feedback received from parents, teachers and students about Aspire UWA activities

End 31 March 2016 (agreed variation to the CoG)

School visits conducted to Partner Schools in the Mid-West where the following activities are conducted:

Classroom based workshops are conducted for students to prepare them for Senior School subject selection and improve their employability skills

Grant extension enabled an extra 2 visits to the region to engage in classroom based career development activities in 5 schools

The Next Step, UniDiscovery and Find Your Future activities completed with Years 5 – 12 students

300 additional students participate in classroom based workshops

In 2016, we engaged an additional 672 students thanks to the grant extension

Of this group, 331 students participated in core Aspire UWA activities, while 341 students participated in career development workshops

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Activities in the Community





End June 2015

Resource and activity development for community events and expos including: Take home resources for

students and their families (children, young adult, general public

Dynamic Visual Aids Short, hands-on activity

developed to engage children Access to UWA’s online career

development resources with a professional career adviser present to answer any questions or provide advice

A strategy developed for use at community events that included the development of: Designed A0 Posters, A5 postcard

flyers, fact sheets, Star gaze word search, and many other resources about university and career options

Mid West career data poster created to showcase the trends in the regional labour market and importance of university study

Giant career cut-outs of people in various professions made for photo opportunities and engagementLife size colourful board game created to highlight possible pathways to university

Resources developed for career adviser to use at community events

Presentations to engage key influencers during 3 community events

Engaging and informative resources are developed that are targeted at children, young adults and families; for distribution at regional community events and expos

A dynamic visual display created for use at community events and expos

An activity for young children developed in consultation with community organisations; for distribution at community events and expos

A comprehensive package of resources, visual aids and activities designed for use at a number of community events and expos

Aspire UWA student ambassadors trained to use and discuss resources at community events; particularly engaging with the board game

Awarded Best Business and Technology Display at the Mingenew Lions Mid West Expo

Consulted with local primary schools to design board game for Mingenew Expo. More than 100 students and community members played the game across all events

End December 2015

Participation in Community events and expos in the Mid-West

Online career decision making program is made available for people to complete

Current university students from

Prepared for and engaged in 6 community events in the Mid West

‘How to get to uni’ information developed and accessible online – referred to at community events

Influence the key Influencers to have a presence at minimum of 3 community events and expos

UWA Student Ambassador(s), from the region, to be present for at least one of the community expos

Presence at 6 different community events that engaged more than 2000 community members

- Mingenew Expo- Sense of Direction Expo

(Geraldton)

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the region participate in the event as role models

Career advice sessions held in Geraldton during the school holidays for students and their parent and/or guardian(s)

Family members will be invited to subscribe to the UWA’s ‘Go to Uni’ App, providing them with free and current information regarding careers, pathways and university

Regional Ambassadors recruited and participated in community events

Professional career adviser at 5 of the community events to provide 1-on-1 advice

Families utilise the resources and activities made available at the Influence the key Influencers expo/event stand

Family members subscribe to UWA’s ‘Go to Uni’ App

At least 40 students to participate in a career advice session that will be held during the school holidays

- WACRH Careers Presentation- Astronomy Community Event

(Carnarvon)- Scitech Science Awareness

Festival and Community Event- Geraldton Universities Centre

Open Day 7 Student Ambassadors present

at 3 of the community events More than 500 informational

resources handed out through community event

Family members referred to website for all downloadable resources and ‘How to get to uni’ information

18 students completed online career program while 51 students completed career guidance sessions during Year 11 camps

Activities Online





June 2015 Develop a series of digital resources for students, teachers and families, accessible through UWA website and the ‘Go to Uni’ App including: Up-to-date and relevant

information regarding accessing

Resources available online include: Detailed information about the

many pathways to university (incl. links to more information)

3 x factsheets about university finance, housing and study

Digital resources are developed for students, teachers and families

Teachers, students, and community members subscribe to the ‘Go to Uni’ App

As of April 2016, all resources developed are available online to be accessed by students, teachers and families

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tertiary education Career development tools,

activities and resources Profiles of students from the

region who have successfully transitioned into a tertiary education institution

options 4 x A0 posters for classrooms

highlighting the student profiles and university information

Series of A5 postcard flyers about university and Mid West career statistics

10 x student profiles detailing their decision making process and transition to university

Action Research





End March 2015

Research Forum held with university partner(s) to develop Influencing the key Influencers Evaluation Framework, drawing on expertise of equity practitioners from each university and Careers Centre’ expertise

Action Research activities and timeline finalised, including mid-year review process

Forum help with Dr Ann Jardine, Director of Aim High at UNSW

External evaluation by Dr Ann Jardine completed

Aspire UWA evaluation framework utilised and tailored to meet needs of the project

Report completed detailing the outcomes agreed during the Research Forum shared with university partner

Evaluation Framework developed including qualitative and quantitative measures

Templates for feedback and peer review finalised

Evaluation report from Dr Ann Jardine (See Attachment 2)

Framework evaluation implemented internally (via field journals, student surveys and teacher focus groups) and externally (via UNSW)

Regular internal meetings held to refine activities and continually evaluate progress

End April 2016 (agreed variation)

Review and analysis of all data collected

Evaluation report completed, incorporated into the Final Report and disseminated to stakeholders

Evaluation report completed Influencing the key Influencers evaluation report completed; disseminated to all stakeholders; and incorporated into the Final Report

Research paper or conference

Evaluation report completedStaff presented at Equity Practitioners in Higher Education Australia conference to 33 colleagues and Mid West Principals Conference to 10

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presentation finalised for dissemination to sector

regional principals.

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APPENDIX 2: External Evaluation

In 2015 I was invited to take part in the University of Western Australia’s (UWA) HEPP National Priorities project “Influencing the key influencers: strategies and resources for engagement in regional Australia”

The focus of the project was to extend existing initiatives and develop new strategies to:

Design and distribute innovative new resources to inform parents and families about options for HE;

Connect with existing community organisations to engage a wider audience; and Augment professional development for teachers particularly in career

development resources.

The project commenced with a workshop in late January 2015 which brought together key project members to examine what already existed, discuss the methodology and approach framing the project and to agree on a plan of action for the year. Project members included staff with substantial careers expertise and experience of outreach in regional areas. The workshop enabled a sharing of expertise gained through two major and established outreach programs being run on opposite coasts of Australia. After a valuable exchange of ideas, a plan of action was established to guide the project across 2015.

Part of the plan involved an opportunity to peer review resources and activities developed during the year. This occurred in September when I attended the Mingenew Agricultural show in Mid West Western Australia with the Aspire UWA team. This enabled me to observe the team engaging with the wider community surrounding their school partners, and to examine the resources that had been developed.

Engagement with Community

Attendance at large events such as Agricultural shows is a sound strategy for meeting with a wide range of people within a community. These events draw in locals and enable connections to be made outside the school community. In order to maximise interest, the Aspire UWA team created a colourful and interesting display that encouraged people to stop. The display was awarded a show prize for its appeal. The display included a range of resources (discussed later) developed during the project. Colour was added by the cartoon backdrop of the University and by the

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large cardboard cut outs of different careers (used for photo opportunities for visitors). Across the day a steady stream of show visitors stopped at the stand which was staffed by the Aspire UWA project team and by UWA students from the region. This approach enabled different types of conversations to take place. The ability of local students to talk from their own experience, and act as very visible role models was particularly successful in enabling conversations about degree choices and university life to take place. Conversations took place across a range of ages including school students, parents and grandparents. In several cases those asking most questions and voicing most support for going to university were the grandparents. To encourage discussion post show, all those who stopped were given a bag of information about going to university.

The positive outcomes for engaging with the community at major events are two way. Not only did this event gain visibility for the UWA work within the Mid West community, and start those important conversations with key influencers, it also enabled the Aspire UWA team to have a deeper understanding of the types of information such key influencers want and the concerns that exist in regional areas about going to university. This in turn will help to shape their work going forward.

Resources

A number of different resources developed during the project were able to be used at Mingenew. These included:

1. A large floor board game designed to encourage school students and their influencers to consider the university/career decision making processes. The game is a successful resource in a number of ways. It is multifunctional and fun tool. It can be used at an external event such as a show and in the

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classroom as the basis for a lesson on decision making, higher education choices and critical points in the pathway to university. Observing it in the show setting, the size and colour attracted initial interest and then playing the game enabled conversations to start. In ongoing development it is worth considering a shortened version emphasising key points for external events, as the time commitment of a ‘passer-by’ to get the benefit of the full game may be too long. The game is a resource that is versatile enough to be of interest to other universities in their outreach work and to schools, especially if accompanied by lesson plans.

2. Case studies of current UWA students and UWA Alumni who had attended school in the Mid West Region. These case studies included a range of people in term of ages, cultural background, careers and profile in the broader community. The case studies were displayed in a shortened form as posters and in their longer form were A4 handouts. Again the resource can be used in multiple settings, including external events and also being given to the schools involved to display. The use of very targeted case studies is grounded in the evidence of the importance of role models for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, particularly regional and Indigenous students. It is something that supports outreach work in all universities.

3. Targeted careers resources in a poster form and as smaller cards. The poster entitled ‘Why Choose University’ contained a lot of information on employment, future employment growth, occupations within different industries and then the education-employment link. One key aspect of the poster was information on occupations within industry relevant to the Mid West region. The poster is an excellent resource for careers teachers, as it provides them with information and data that would be very difficult for them to collate themselves. It also provides a clear focus for career planning lessons with school students, especially for teachers who do not have career qualifications (often the case in small regional schools). It is also a very good tool for outreach teams to use with senior school students, especially when making that important link between classroom, degree and career. In regional areas it helps to show students the range of degrees that are useful in their local areas. Both these messages are important in the success of outreach work with regional students. The poster may not be as successful in a show setting due to the amount of information it contains. However, what was observed to be useful were the cards which focused on particular aspects such as information on the kinds of jobs requiring degrees in the next ten years, the growth in employment areas across parts of Western Australia and why university education was important for the future of individuals. The cards also had the multifunctional element in that they are excellent resources for career lessons in schools.

The resources above are complimented by a set of careers lesson plans developed specifically for use in the classroom. These focus on the student gaining an understanding of self and their decision making. These were not observed in action but do provide a suite of resources for teachers to use.

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In conclusion, it is clear that Aspire UWA has met the aims of their project. The value of the range of resources developed as part of the UWA HEPP National Priorities project cannot be underestimated. Evidence indicates the importance of making strong links for students from disadvantaged backgrounds and their key influencers, between classroom subjects, degree choices and career outcomes. The resources that have been developed do that and will be valuable additions to the resources used by classroom teachers and by outreach teams in other universities.

Dr Ann JardineDirector AimHigh,UNSW

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APPENDIX 3: Testimonials from Aspire UWA activitiesYear 9 camp Mid West and Gascoyne Camp:

“I just wanted to express my gratitude for your Aspire UWA program. My year 9 son attended the program in December. He came back with renewed vigour that he wants to study medicine at UWA and live in University Hall! As neither my husband or I had the opportunity to attend university, it is pleasing to see the confidence that it has given him and made it more 'real' to strive for his dream. I can't tell you how important this experience was for him and I thank you for giving him the opportunity.”- Parent, Nagle Catholic College

“The girls and I had a fantastic time thanks to the outstanding effort your Aspire team has organised for all the schools involved in the three days program.”- Teacher, Mount Magnet District High School

School visits:

“I am seriously considering studying Law. I never knew there were so many cool options under that banner.”- Year 12 Student, Geraldton Senior College

“[The workshop] made me view the application and getting into uni more seriously, so [it] sparked me to work a lot harder.”- Year 12 Student, Geraldton Senior College

“The students were actively involved and enjoyed the presentation. [The] short interactive activities worked well.”- Senior School Coordinator, Eastern Hills Senior High School

“I never considered UWA because I didn’t think I was smart enough, but now I see there is a possibility.”- Year 12 Student, Kalbarri District High School

“The students gained valuable information [and] are now more excited about university.”- Teacher, Swan View Senior High School

Sense of Direction community event:

“I just wanted to share what an amazing afternoon our students had at the Geraldton Universities Centre (sic: for the Sense of Direction community event). Lots to explore and great help from all exhibitors. Our students talked about many aspects on the bus trip back to school.”- Head of Middle School, Geraldton Grammar School

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APPENDIX 4: EPHEA Conference Presentation

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APPENDIX 5: Mid West Principals Conference Presentation

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APPENDIX 6: Letter from External Auditor

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