Nearly 100 high school students from as far as Weipa, Blackall and Newcastle and all points in between have descended on The University of Queensland (UQ) Gatton for a week-long FEAST of career-based fun.
Otherwise known as Future Experiences in Agriculture, Science and Technology, the annual residential school provides high-achieving Year 11 and 12 students with a taste of university life and the huge range of careers in the agriculture, animal, food and environment sectors.
Those attending come from city, coastal and country centres and a wide variety of backgrounds, with a terrific response this year convincing organisers to double the program’s usual intake.
“FEAST is all about helping high school students make the right decision about their future,” Program Coordinator Brad Henderson said.
“Some students have had very little exposure to these industries and use it to learn more about the range of university and career options available. Others use it to focus their decision making on what to aim for, what to study at school or which program to enrol in at the end of Year 12.
“Throughout the week, the students will participate in problem solving and hands-on activities, rubbing shoulders with veterinarians, food technologists, agricultural scientists and environmental scientists amongst others,” Mr Henderson said.
“They’ll learn about things like plant tissue culture, extracting DNA, animal anatomy and catchment management. They will also participate in activities such as “PSI: Parasite Scene Investigation,” “A Taste of Food Science” and the “Quest for the Woolly Mammoth.”
“The week won’t all be work. The students will sample some of the social and sporting events that Uni life has to offer, tour the Gatton and St Lucia campuses and make a whole heap of new friends.”
Mr Henderson said invitations to participate in the FEAST program were issued to high schools in Queensland and northern New South Wales each year. Students are selected to participate based on their academic achievement, a personal submission and the recommendation of their school.
“Earning selection for FEAST is no easy feat, even with the additional places we’ve created to cater for the increased demand on the program. It’s a real credit to those students who have been successful and the schools that have nominated them,” Mr Henderson said.
“Those in the agriculture, animal, food and environment industries will also be buoyed by the level of interest that’s out there amongst smart young students.”
FEAST is an initiative of UQ’s Faculty of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Veterinary Science.
More information: Brad Henderson, Marketing Coordinator, Faculty of NRAVS (07) 5460 1229, 0409.265.587 or b.henderson@uq.edu.au
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