The Widening Participation Unit has been successful in obtaining funding in the latest round of Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT) grants.

The project ‘(Re)claiming social capital: improving language and cultural pathways for refugee students into Australian higher education’ is in partnership with University of Newcastle and Curtin University and will identify the pathways taken by Humanitarian Entrant Background (HEB) students to enter higher education and how these students experience their transitions into and through undergraduate study.

“Here at Macquarie, the funding will also support the evaluation of the LEAP-Macquarie Mentoring (Refugee Mentoring) program to highlight the various pathways students take into higher education,” said Ruth Tregale, Director, Widening Participation.

Ruth says this is a pioneering mentoring program for high school students from refugee backgrounds. “The program provides a relaxed and friendly atmosphere for students from refugee backgrounds (mentees) to explore and navigate future education and career pathways with the support of Macquarie student volunteers (mentors).”

Since the program was established in 2011, the program has engaged 754 high school students in Years 9-10 from refugee backgrounds who have connected with 357 Macquarie student mentors. 32 high school students from refugee backgrounds who were part of the mentoring program are now in universities across NSW.

“The project will develop a set of best practice recommendations to facilitate HEB students’ transitions through various institutional pathways and contribute towards HEB students’ positive engagement with their education.