Adam and Ruby, Year 12 Graduates, share their story
WATCH NOWAdam and Ruby, Year 12 Graduates, share their story
WATCH NOWMITS provides young Indigenous people with a Year 7-8 school and boarding program, enabling them to confidently step into great Melbourne schools while remaining culturally strong and connected with their families. Students continue to live in a MITS-run boarding house from Years 9-12.
In late January each year our new Year 7 students arrive with their family for Orientation in either Darwin (NT students) or Melbourne (Vic students)
Over three days students and families meet their new classmates and MITS staff. NT students then travel to Melbourne with MITS staff, where they are welcomed to Wurundjeri Country by a local Elder and head down to the Richmond Football Club, where our classrooms are based.
The early weeks of the year are all about getting to know each other and Melbourne
Weekends are busy times with visits to the beach, Rick and Liz’s Farm, and ‘Camp Manyung’ late in Term 1. In the classroom, teachers get to know students and their individual learning styles, with a strong focus on student wellbeing. At the end of Term 1 – as with every single term – students return home for important time with family on Country. By Term 2 our students are starting to make great strides in the classroom, as their work becomes differentiated and more challenging. Most of our students choose to play AFL with Richmond Junior Football Club each Sunday. Another highlight of Term 2 is AFL Dreamtime at the MCG, with students hosting Richmond players for lunch at MITS.
The remainder of the year focuses on academic growth and celebrating your success
In Term 3, which we refer to as the ‘Premiership Term’, students go on a one-week camp at Eildon, 2 hours’ drive from Melbourne, where they will kayak, hike, mountain bike and complete high ropes courses (see video). In Term 4 we hold our annual MITS Gala Dinner – which raises important funds for MITS – with students welcoming MITS supporters for a night of celebration.
It’s now your second year at MITS, where you will move into one of our Senior MITS Boarding Houses
This Semester you will enjoy greater independence, where you can go on street leave with your friends down the local shopping centre or Citizen’s Park for a kick of the footy. You will also move from Lockington into one of our Senior Boarding Houses, such as 371 Church Street (see video). We start asking students and their parents for their preferences in a Partner School for Year 9, ensuring we find the very best school for each student.
The focus now turns to fully preparing you for your you step into your Pathways School next year
This is the transition Semester, when students start to visit their Pathways Schools where they will move to from Year 9 onwards. You will join some classes and get to know your future classmates. You will continue living in our MITS boarding houses, even when you move to your new school. In Term 4 we also hold our annual MITS Gala Dinner (see video), where our students join our MITS supporters for a night of celebration and to raise funds for MITS.
It’s time to celebrate! Graduation is a special time for our students and their families as we highlight our Years 8, 10 and 12 Completers
In early December we organise family members of our Years 8, 10 and 12 students to travel to Melbourne for Graduation, held inside the MCG's Members Dining Room. In the days before Graduation, Year 8 students and their families will also visit their new Partner Schools together.
Our students' educational journeys continues as they begin studying at one of our Melbourne Pathways Schools, while continuing to live with MITS in our Senior Boarding Houses. MITS works with students and their new school to ensure that they are supported academically and culturally. In Year 9, many Pathways Schools have camps across Victoria, Australia, or even overseas! At some schools, students will spend a term or a year on a different school campus as they grow and learn. Students will also start to choose more subjects, pursing individual interests and passions.
This year many students will begin looking at work experience opportunities which match their own personal interests. Some students will also start a part-time job outside of school for some extra pocket money, or even get their L-Plates and start to learn how to drive.
This year some students will begin the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE). Many will also choose to do a VCE Vocational Major, which offers a more 'hands-on' approach to learning, and provide skills in areas such as construction trades. Some students may choose to pursue training or employment opportunities in Melbourne, or alternatively return closer to home after four great years in Melbourne.
You did it! The final year of high school is a very special time, with so much to be celebrated. Students will be studying hard to receive their Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) or trade qualifications, and will be deciding whether they wish to go to university, attend TAFE or enter the workforce after finishing school.
MITS is a recognised thought leader in Australian education and boarding.
Through our partnerships with the Richmond Football Club, Pathways Schools and community organisations in Melbourne and with remote Top End and regional Victorian communities, we seek to have an impact beyond the 22 young people who come to MITS each year.
We work closely with other leaders in Indigenous education and regularly consult to other organisations.
We are always keen to hear from prospective families, parents and students, interested supporters and new partners. To contact us, please complete the form below.
