A partnership between Goodstart Early Learning Mossman and the Cape York Girl Academy is helping young Indigenous women make choices about their future education and careers.
Every week, six to eight women, aged 14 to 16 years old, visit the Mossman Johnston Road centre to carry out work experience.
Mossman Johnston Road assistant centre director Rosie Macgillivray said the placement runs during the school term with the girls from the Cape York Girl Academy at Wangetti Beach.
“We host a number of girls in our centre once a week and they spend time in the centre, playing with the children and learning about what it’s like to be an educator. They can then decide to go on and do a Certificate 3 in early childhood,” Ms Macgillivray said.
“For us, it’s all about helping and supporting our community and we find that it works really well. They come as a group and split up to look after different age groups in the centre.
“It’s very important for us because we have had some lovely feedback from it and a few of the girls have said it’s really changed their outlook on their life and what options they may have when they leave school."
Cape York Girl Academy is a boarding school for Indigenous teenage girls, some of whom have babies. It aims to re-engage the girls with their education in an environment that is supportive of their needs.
Girl Academy principal Shoba Kalos said the girls enjoyed their time at Goodstart Mossman, with a couple considering studying for a certificate three in early childcare.
“During their time at the Mossman centre, the girls learnt how to care for the next generation while giving back to the local community shire,” Ms Kalos said.
She said about seven girls, from years seven to 12, attended the centre on a weekly basis.
“These girls have been very disengaged from society and from their education so the opportunity this school offers them could potentially be very exciting. We are focused on making the school a place that is worth coming to,” she said.
“We’ll be looking at continuing this partnership next year.”
Every week, six to eight women, aged 14 to 16 years old, visit the Mossman Johnston Road centre to carry out work experience.
Mossman Johnston Road assistant centre director Rosie Macgillivray said the placement runs during the school term with the girls from the Cape York Girl Academy at Wangetti Beach.
“We host a number of girls in our centre once a week and they spend time in the centre, playing with the children and learning about what it’s like to be an educator. They can then decide to go on and do a Certificate 3 in early childhood,” Ms Macgillivray said.
“For us, it’s all about helping and supporting our community and we find that it works really well. They come as a group and split up to look after different age groups in the centre.
“It’s very important for us because we have had some lovely feedback from it and a few of the girls have said it’s really changed their outlook on their life and what options they may have when they leave school."
Cape York Girl Academy is a boarding school for Indigenous teenage girls, some of whom have babies. It aims to re-engage the girls with their education in an environment that is supportive of their needs.
Girl Academy principal Shoba Kalos said the girls enjoyed their time at Goodstart Mossman, with a couple considering studying for a certificate three in early childcare.
“During their time at the Mossman centre, the girls learnt how to care for the next generation while giving back to the local community shire,” Ms Kalos said.
She said about seven girls, from years seven to 12, attended the centre on a weekly basis.
“These girls have been very disengaged from society and from their education so the opportunity this school offers them could potentially be very exciting. We are focused on making the school a place that is worth coming to,” she said.
“We’ll be looking at continuing this partnership next year.”