Launched in September 2011, the pilot program works with 90 Indigenous Australian state school students across New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia.

The 5½ year program provides cohorts of students with intensive and ongoing educational support through academic camps (three a year), tutoring, mentoring, work experience opportunities and other academic resources, from the middle of Year 8 until the end of their first year out of high school – over 250 contact hours per year.

Indigenous knowledge systems, values and methodologies are incorporated as best practice models of learning. As well as building academic excellence, the program focuses on strengthening identity and resilience, and creating a group of students who will support each other through school and further education.

The primary aim of the program is for all participants to successfully complete Year 12 and be eligible for university. Beyond this their aim is to create a ripple effect of high expectations that will extend from the home, through schools and into Indigenous education policy and delivery.

TAI’s academic enrichment program is part of a number of education programs at Aurora working to change the current narrative of Indigenous education, whereby outstanding achievement is seen as the exception, rather than the norm. Projects include:

• overseas postgraduate scholarships through the Charlie Perkins Trust and Roberta Sykes Indigenous Education Foundation,
• the Aurora Indigenous Scholars International Study Tour, and
• the Indigenous Scholarships Website.

Visit The Aspiration Initiative website here: theaspirationinitiative.com.au