In-line with its strong community focus, Bond University will be participating in this year’s Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) program.
AIME is a not-for-profit charity which provides a six-year Mentoring Program for Indigenous Australians currently in high school, partnering them with University student volunteers with the aim of improving completion rates across Years 10 & 12 and lifting tertiary education admissions for participants.
110 Bond students have already signed up for this life changing program in which they will mentor more than 100 Indigenous students from Keebra Park, Palm Beach, Currumbin, Nerang, Elanora and Helensvale State High Schools; strengthening the University’s involvement with them.
Bond University Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Garry Marchant believes that programs such as AIME can be genuinely life changing and is proud of the involvement and community leadership role that the student body is taking, seeing it as a great opportunity for students.
“This program has the ability to make a hugely positive impact on the community by increasing higher education participation and completion rates amongst indigenous Australians,” Professor Marchant said.
“The pairing of University students with these children will hopefully showcase to them the possibility of going on to complete their secondary education and the accessibility of tertiary studies, as they teach them the necessary skills and strategies to take these next steps.”
As an Indigenous scholarship student at Bond and current President of the Bond Indigenous Awareness Society, AIME participant Ricky Macourt is excited about the prospect of being involved in such a potentially life changing program.
“This is an incredible opportunity and I can’t wait to meet my mentee and hopefully be able to provide some support for them as they seek to achieve their goals,” said Ricky.
“This is a fantastic initiative from the University and it will be great if those participating in the program can impart some knowledge and assist in the setting up of successful coping and strategy studies, in addition to being a sounding board for our mentee.”
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