Karnkanthi Indigenous Education Program

Colleagues from Wirltu Yarlu recently hosted Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school students and their parents at the annual Karnkanthi Careers Night. It’s part of Karnkanthi’s suite of activities to prepare senior school students for university by building on their personal, academic, and cultural strengths.

Thirty students are participating in this year’s program, which showcases our facilities and discipline areas to members of the community who may not have previously engaged with the University.

Translating to ‘lifting up’ in Kaurna language, Karnkanthi has been a University of Adelaide program since 2018 and, along with its Careers Night, also holds two camps per year, SATAC and exam revision day, yarn and paint day, sports day, escape room activities, cultural nights, orientation and graduation.

The event provided the opportunity to engage students and parents with a mix of activities including careers information, pathway experiences, and information about a range of degrees and discipline areas.  A highlight of the event was the opportunity to hear first-hand from students who have graduated from the program, including some of the 8 currently in the first year of their degrees.

If staff are interested in participating in or presenting at future Karnkanthi events, please contact Bianca Bettley. We would love to have our students exposed to more of the faculties so that they can experience what different degrees offer.