THE Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) gave 150 Shoalhaven students something to talk about recently.
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AIME Wollongong centre manager Brenden Newton said four influential, public figures joined the students on the day for an interactive experience to help students engage in learning.
“Through the simple tool of mentoring we encourage students to dream big and pursue education,” he said.
“We get cheeky and creative in the way we do that by creating good relationships with the students so they enjoy our company.
“Last week was really a reward day for the students who stuck with the curricular activities we had throughout the year.”
The students from 10 different schools across the Shoalhaven were delighted with fun activities and stories from motocross stunt man Luke McNeil, Australian netball player and indigenous women’s advocate Melina Saunders, surfing champion and entrepreneur Glen Thurston and Culburra Beach’s indigenous model Ashley Cheadle.
“We wanted to create excitement for the kids and allow them to have a good conversation with these public figures,” Mr Newton said.
“They were there to connect with and inspire the youngsters to finish school and live their dreams.
“McNeil even bashed out a few wheelies across the centre’s perimeter which spiced things up and put a bounce in everyone’s step.”
Mr Newton said the day was a success and next year AIME hopes to attract and mentor 300 Shoalhaven students.
“And a further 10,000 nationally by 2018,” he said.
AIME is an educational program that supports Indigenous students through high school, into university, employment or further education through mentoring programs which gives students skills, opportunities, belief and confidence to grow and succeed.
The indigenous mentoring organisation has worked with 3000 Aboriginal students nationally, 500 students between Wollongong and Eden and 150 students in the Shoalhaven.
In 2013 AIME’s national completion records showed that 81.2 per cent of non-indigenous students from years 9 to 12 successfully graduated, 41.4 per cent of indigenous students graduated and 76 per cent of students involved in AIME graduated.
The statistics also showed 37.4 per cent of non-indigenous students from year 9 went on to complete university, 4.1 per cent of indigenous students did so, but 20.4 per cent of AIME students completed university.
“We may have broken a few rules socially, but it’s all for the purpose to get these kids to engage further with the education system,” Mr Newton said.
On Friday, November 28 AIME will visit year 7 and 8 students in Shoalhaven schools.
“Through our studies we have found that maths and science is the biggest weakness for indigenous students, with most dropping the subjects and this can be extremely detrimental as they are the core subjects to a lot of further education,” Mr Newton said.
“We are piloting a program to help change this by engaging with young high school students through games of hand-ball.”