Alumni
Pathways Program
Empowering Indigenous leaders
Our Pathways Program begins in Year 10, preparing students for life after school and supporting them as they transition to higher education, vocational training and employment.
The Pathways Program focuses on 4 key areas – Post School Pathways, Pathways for Personal Growth, Leadership and Professional Development Pathways, and Pathways for Connection – to support our senior students and alumni to be well-equipped Indigenous leaders in their communities and throughout Australia.
After graduation, our alumni continue to be powerfully connected to each other and the Yalari community. With access to programs to support leadership, professional and personal growth, our alumni are empowered to grow and develop as both leaders and professionals in community, business and Australia.
Pathways Program
Post School Pathways
As senior students begin to think about their post school future, Yalari helps students to know of the options available to them and the pathways to get to where they want to be.
Our Pathways Team runs a number of initiatives to help students as they begin to think about their future. Â
- Senior school dinners – inviting Year 11 and 12 students in each city to a dinner with alumni to hear the stories of those who have been on the same journey before them.
- Year 11 Pathways Camp – a weekend long camp hosted at Bond University designed to give Year 11 students a taste of university life and an insight into a variety of career options to inspire their post school ambitions. Students participate in workshops, presentations, and a career roundtable.
- Year 12 HSF Weekend – supported by Herbert Smith Freehills, this weekend brings the Year 12 students together to help them develop the skills they will need as they transition out of school, including resume and interview skills and applying for university
- Senior Leaders Camp – facilitated at RACV Royal Pines the weekend before the annual Orientation Camp, this camp brings together several senior students and alumni to prepare them to act as senior leaders for the Year 7 and 8 studentsÂ
- Careers Guidance – a dedicated member of the Pathways Team works alongside senior school students and alumni to help them figure out career and further education pathways
- Yalari Pathways Scholarships – made possible by Yalari supporters and sponsors, Pathways Scholarships are awarded annually to students studying at universities to assist with living expensesÂ
Pathways for Personal Growth
Ensuring that alumni are well-equipped to succeed after school in their personal lives is just as important as supporting them through their educational and professional development. Yalari offers tools and resources to alumni to help them as they begin to navigate the world after school.
- Financial Literacy – run in partnership with First Nations Foundation, Yalari supports alumni to develop an understanding of all aspects of managing their personal finances
- Alumni Wellbeing Program – giving alumni the tools and resources to manage their wellbeing, with a focus on caring for the whole person
- Pathways Driving Program - connecting alumni with driving schools in their local area and funds 5 lessons to assist alumni to get their driver licence and build their personal independenceÂ
Leadership and Professional Development Pathways
The Pathways Program aims to empower alumni to be leaders in their communities, workplaces, and throughout the country. As the Yalari Pathways Program continues to grow, Yalari is developing bespoke leadership programs to launch in 2024, on top of the Yalari Alumni Advisory Board which began in 2023.Â
- Alumni Advisory Board – the Alumni Advisory Board is a new initiative that provides Australian Institute of Company Directors training to alumni, who have formed an advisory board which meets quarterly and provides advice to Yalari’s board on matters relating to our alumni
- Warrior Spirit - run at Canungra, Warrior Spirit is a 6 day military-style leadership development course designed to stretch and stress-test resilience and provide opportunities for self-reflection and personal growth.
Pathways for Connection
The Yalari journey is a unique one and, despite our alumni coming from different communities and attending different schools, our alumni share an experience that connects them together. Yalari continues to hold events after students graduate to maintain connections with Yalari and with each other.
- Regular Alumni Catch-ups – bringing alumni together in the cities that they live, to connect and enjoy time together
- Alumni Reunions – hosted at RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast, bringing our alumni together for 5- and 10-year Reunion Weekends to give alumni an opportunity to reconnect with each other, participate in personal and professional development workings, and celebrate the alumni journey with a formal dinner
- Alumni Website – the planned Alumni Website will be a space for Yalari to connect with alumni and post alumni news, share job opportunities, and invite alumni to get further involved with Yalari
- Yalari Way Camp – modelled off the Year 9 Outback Camp, the Yalari Way Camp is a week-long trip through Central Australia for alumni and Yalari supporters to develop a deeper connection between supporters and Yalari through our alumniÂ
Yalari Pathways Scholarships
Yalari Pathways Scholarships are awarded to alumni starting university and further studies. These scholarships are designed to support and empower alumni as they transition to into further studies, giving students the opportunity to focus on their studies.
Funded by Yalari supporters and sponsors, the financial support provided by these scholarships is invaluable for recipients. Worth $10,000 a year, they ease the financial burden associated with pursuing a degree, which often includes textbook and equipment costs, living expenses and other educational expenses.
Receiving the Pathways Scholarship meant I could dedicate more time to study and focus more on exams rather than working 40 plus hours a week. It’s also helped me get involved in more extra-curricular activities as well, like for example last semester I was able to go down to Monash University in Melbourne for the National Indigenous Unigames.
I was also able to participate in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Moot Competition. We spoke in front of magistrates and district court judges in the preliminary rounds, and then got announced as grand finalists which meant that we got to speak in front of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. As a Laws student, this whole experience gave me a lot of confidence in my study and it’s something I mightn’t have been able to do if not for the scholarship.
Connor Cubby (Class of 2019)Â – studying a Bachelor of Laws at Bond University and recipient of a Pathways Scholarships funded by FTI Consulting
Support our alumni as they move into further study
If you’d like to learn more about supporting alumni through Pathways Scholarships, please call us on (07) 5665 8688 or contact us via the button below
