Griffith University will host 150 Indigenous high school students from around South East Queensland at the Deadly U Experience, an on-campus event designed to raise aspirations toward tertiary education.
Gold Coast Suns players Jy Farrar, Joel Jeffrey and Malcolm Rosas will spend time engaging students in games and activities to build enthusiasm and promote higher education.
GUMURRII Indigenous Engagement Officer, Wes Conlon said the Deadly U experience is designed to engage students in a range of cultural and sporting activities and interactive academic workshops.
We want to create a relationship between young Indigenous students and the Griffith University GUMURRII Student Success Unit, so they know they’ll have the tools to succeed at Griffith, he said.
Griffith Indigenous Academics will showcase Griffith programs and inspire Indigenous students to realise they can succeed in higher education and help them to consider career pathways.
“Last year the high school students helped to prepare and cook traditional foods like sea turtle in an underground oven called a Kup-Murri by Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Now in its second year, popularity for the Deadly U experience is growing among young teens becoming aware of their prospects.
This year, culture will be once again on display, with the Contemporary Australian Indigenous Arts program showcasing an amazing range of cultural opportunities in higher education.
GUMURRII Student Mentors will guide and provide leadership to the high school students during the event, particularly as the mentors have personally experienced the transition to university.
Switching from high school to the independent structure of university study can be overwhelming at first, but the GUMURRII Unit are here to provide support and make the transition easier, Mr Conlon said.
We have an opportunity to show potential students that Griffith is a culturally safe place and the GUMURRII Student Success Team provide a home away from home with regular engagement and 24-hour access to the GUMURRII unit.
We’re proud to have the largest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student population of any university in Queensland, with our campuses set within one of the fastest growing Indigenous populations in Australia.
Deadly U is delivered by Griffith University’s GUMURRII Student Success Unit and the 2022 event runs from November 21 – 23 at Griffith University Logan Campus.
To register your high school in future events, the GUMURRII unit can be contacted at https://www.griffith.edu.au/gumurrii