As part of a valuable initiative to expose them to a range of career opportunities, 20 students from Cobram Secondary College embarked on a camp in Melbourne.
The program exposed the high-achieving year 7 and 8 students to a range of career possibilities and included visits to several universities and a leading professional services company, GHD.
Teach For Australia Alumnus and High Abilities coordinator at Cobram Secondary College, George Allen, said he created the camp to help students explore their options.
“My main motivation for running things like this is to encourage educational aspiration but also to bridge the gap that exists for regional students getting into tertiary education and dispel the idea that universities are just for ‘rich kids in the city’,” Mr Allen said.
“If they choose to go to university or not is not my primary concern, but I do want them to make an informed decision about their future.
“Opting not to go to uni because they don’t know what that means, doesn’t serve their best interests.”
During the camp, students gained valuable insights from GHD employees, hearing about potential career paths, and saw firsthand the innovative projects undertaken by the company.
They also explored higher education at Swinburne and Monash Universities and got a glimpse into RMIT’s efforts in championing women in STEM.
Mr Allen brings unique expertise to the classroom from his previous career as a Lab Manager in mines in the Pilbara and Canada.
“TFA gave me the opportunity to get into teaching – I wouldn’t have made the switch without it,” Mr Allen said.
“My values align closely with educational equity and with TFA and the wider community, you have the scope to make the change even broader.
“This is my third year of running the camp and each year it’s getting slightly bigger and better.”
Mr Allen also recently received Educator Online’s Rising Stars, Top Teachers and Educators in Australia Under 35 award for 2024.
The award acknowledges hard work, emotional intelligence, knowledge, a solid education, and a long-term commitment to the same employer.
“I love working with the kids,” he said.
“They’re weird and wonderful but so full of possibility and I get to help shape their future.
“I still have students who’ve previously attended the camp, talking about wanting to go to university. It’s so inspiring.”