Four shire students have earned themselves a Galuwa Scholarship.
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The program which is sponsored by Glencore Coal and managed by the Department of Education, grants 10 scholarships to Aboriginal students who have performed well in their Year 5 NAPLAN test.
The students receive tutoring, financial support and attend various camps and excursions to develop their career aspirations and to succeed academically while they are in years 6-8.
The successful students are Gwen Rumbel and Lilly Neilson, both from Dungog High, Lily Cook from Dungog Public School and April Hensley-Turner from Clarence Town Public School.
The students have attended the first event for the year - a four day camp at Great Aussie Bush Camp at Tea Gardens and a special presentation ceremony.
The Galuwa program started in 2010 and is now in its tenth year. Originally, students came from the Hunter, Central Coast regions and as far away as Mudgee, but now come from the Maitland, Cessnock to the Upper Hunter regional areas. The areas are decided in consultation with Glencore.
The students are identified using Year 5 NAPLAN test results. Eligible students have achieved "proficiency" outcomes with at least two results in the top two bands.
The identified students are invited to apply for the scholarship and the successful applicants are selected by a panel through a competitive selection process.
The panel is made up of a representative from Glencore, Aboriginal Education and Community Engagement and the local representatives of the NSW AECG.
The financial support is provided to assist the students to purchase educational resources, school uniforms, computers, school fees and other education related expenses to support their educational needs.
All students are required to undertake a minimum of 20 hours of tuition a year to further enhance their learning.