TAFE North Coast Aboriginal Learning Partnerships receives funding for three education festivals

Thursday 3rd April, 2008

Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Julia Gillard MP, in her dual role as Minister for Education and for Social Inclusion, yesterday announced major funding under the Community Festivals for Education Engagement program to support targeted events that encourage school attendance, retention and healthy lifestyles for all young Australians, in particular Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

North Coast TAFE has signed an agreement under this program to stage three Community Festivals for Education Engagement in 2008. The Festivals, entitled ‘Deadly Days’, is being facilitated by TAFE’s North Coast Aboriginal Learning Partnerships (NCALP) as a TAFE-Schools-Community initiative to enable positive engagement with education and healthy lifestyle messages by young Aboriginal learners and retain and engage them in education, employment or training.

North Coast TAFE’s Director of NCALP, Mr Tony Dreise says that ‘Deadly Days’ Festivals have a key objective of increasing the capacity of North Coast communities to plan, develop and evaluate locally-based festivals that are focused on healthy, functional and positive approaches to education, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and lifestyles in general for the Aboriginal communities on the North Coast.

“We were delighted to be one of the two successful NSW funding applicants – it demonstrates the level of quality, commitment and capability of the partners in the Deadly Days Festivals,” says Mr Dreise.

It is proposed that in 2008, three festivals will occur at the Lismore, Coffs Harbour (CHEC); and Taree TAFE Campuses.