Follow the Dream
The Follow the Dream Program at Central Midlands Senior High School aims to provide support to our aspirant Indigenous students to develop their talents, enhance their academic performance and find successful pathways to university or TAFE. The Program is delivered through a partnership between the Western Australian Department of Education and the Polly Farmer Foundation.
The Follow the Dream Program offers a range of benefits including:
- A space where students complete their studies with the assistance of tutors and mentors after school.
- Monitoring of student progress and providing intensive assistance for students who require it.
- Opportunities to attend careers excursions/camps, reward excursions, after school activities, mentoring visits, community events, and University Programs/events.
- The establishment of links between family, the community, and schools.
- Access to traditional Indigenous cultural events and appropriate role models.
Students are selected into the Program two ways.
Direct Entry: The Program Coordinator/Champion may directly offer a student the opportunity to participate in the Program where the student has demonstrated:
- attainment above the national minimum standard in the NAPLAN assessment areas of Numeracy, Writing and Reading and/or achieved a minimum C grade in Mathematics, English, Science and Humanities (MESH) subjects;
- 90% school attendance;
- a positive approach to their education; and
- a commitment to achieving personal academic success
Recommendation and/or student self-nomination: If a student does not meet the direct entry criteria into Follow the Dream, students may be offered the opportunity to participate in Follow the Dream through recommendation by: a school staff member; parent/family member; community member; or self-nomination. This process may apply to students who:
- demonstrate talents, interests and/or abilities that the Program can support;
- have a positive approach to their education; and
- show a commitment to achieving personal academic success.
Students must continually demonstrate the student selection criteria to maintain their place in the Follow the Dream Program, otherwise their place in the Program may be reviewed and/or withdrawn.
Students in the Follow the Dream Program, are proud to wear a school uniform shirt also embroidered with the Polly Farmer Follow the Dream logo.
Each year, a number of speakers, excursions, events, and reward activities will occur for students involved in the Follow the Dream Program. In the past this has included trips to UWA, a cultural day to create a mural and other exciting trips. These are aimed at increasing school engagement, knowledge about post school pathways, and allowing students to focus their schooling to best achieve their post school aspirations. Students need to ensure they continue to meet the criteria of the Program and policies of the school in order to take part in these activities.
Central Midlands Senior High School is supported by Joe Manning The Follow the Dream Program Coordinator, the School Champion Ms. Natasha Kirk and the AIEO Officers Cheryl Chipper and Bridgitte Narrier.
