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UNE encourages line-up of rural talent

January 13, 2005

Elizabeth Hale copy.jpgHSC students living in remote areas are benefiting from an innovative program offered by the University of New England to promote creativity.
UNE-Mentor has already seen one of its students win a prestigious film award and another top the State in HSC English.
Now program co-ordinator, Dr Elizabeth Hale, is aiming to help another 41 students from 21 schools in rural NSW gain similar success.

“UNE-Mentor provides long-term support to students preparing their Major Work projects for Extension II English. Projects range from short stories, through to critical essay-writing, web design, even writing a suite of poems or producing a short film,” Dr Hale said.
HSC Extension II is the highest level of English that can be studied for the HSC. As part of this, students must create, using a variety of media, an original work. This is judged by the HSC Boards of Studies in August each year.
The UNE-Mentor program works on-line, by allowing HSC candidates to access postgraduate and professional writers at UNE, asking for their advice and consulting through the Internet and on-campus workshops.
Operated by UNE’s School of English, Communication and Theatre Studies, UNE-Mentor was established in consultation with the School of Education, and representatives from the English Teachers’ Association of NSW.
Explained Dr Hale: “Throughout the year, the mentors operate an Online Discussion Forum on the university’s WebCT platform, where students post queries and talk about their Major Works projects.
“They receive feedback from mentors and their peers, establishing a supportive online community.”
Later in the year, the mentors will organise a one-day, on-campus workshop, where students will be able to meet face-to-face, work on their projects and glimpse academic life.
Dr Hale stressed the program was run for students enrolled in Extension II English and living in remote communities.
“Often, students taking part in the project are the only ones studying Extension English in their school,” she said.
A highlight of the program has been the success of student Tom Hancock, from Warialda High School.
With the support of the mentoring program, he produced Silhouettes, a short, non-fiction film about life in a small country town.
The film won the Best Creative Film section at the North-West Film Festival, held in Bingara last October. It then went on to be short-listed at the Robin Anderson Film Awards at the Valhalla Theatre in Glebe, Sydney.
Another student taking part in the program, Maja Doma from Maclean High School, went on to top the state in English for 2003.
Dr Hale said she was thrilled by the success of the program and said mentors taking part also gained experience in teaching students and benefited from students’ feedback.
For more information phone Lydia Roberts on 6773 2779
or Dr Elizabeth Hale on 6773 2356.

Posted by Lydia Roberts at January 13, 2005 12:06 PM