High school students from Rockhampton and remote Woorabinda sailed the waters off Yeppoon as part of a unique inter-school collaboration.
Carinity Education Rockhampton and Wadja Wadja High School are fostering positive change in the community through the City-Country Partnerships.
The City-Country Partnerships is an Australian Government program which sees high-performing independent schools partner with remote schools with a high proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
Carinity Education Rockhampton and Wadja Wadja High School converged across two events at Yeppoon on September 9-10.
Students enjoyed the Winds of Joy sailing program, which provided a unique opportunity to sail a large racing yacht on Rosslyn Bay.
The young people also attended the Outdoor Skills 4Kids survival skills camp, equipping them to handle potentially dangerous situations in wilderness environments.
The Carinity Education Rockhampton–Wadja Wadja relationship is one of 14 City-Country Partnerships between schools across Australia, aimed at improving student outcomes and attendance rates and creating a brighter, more inclusive future for all Australians.
The program provides classroom, diagnostic and relational supports to the country school and delivers external school experiences for students including excursions.
Carinity Education Rockhampton Principal, Lyn Harland, said the partnership is designed to nurture “friendship, cultural respect and education pathway supports.”
“It is helping students to foster a greater understanding of themselves and empathy towards others, while also respecting a different cultural perspective,” Lyn said.