Year 11 and 12 students are invited to apply for one of the 50 spots available in The University of Queensland’s (UQ) popular FEAST program.
FEAST is a five-day residential school held at the Gatton campus each Easter.
FEAST offers high school students from across Queensland and New South Wales the chance to sample university life and career options in the agricultural, animal, environment and food industries.
Short for Future Experiences in Agriculture, Science and Technology, FEAST 2006 will run from Sunday, April 9 to Thursday, April 13, with applications invited now.
“FEAST allows students to experience what university is like and explore the huge range of career opportunities available before they leave high school,” Program Coordinator Susanne Schick said.
“We provide course and career information sessions, tours and practical activities at UQ’s Gatton and St Lucia campuses.
“At the same time, they enjoy a great program of problem solving exercises, adventure-based learning, sporting and social activities.
“It all helps the students form a much clearer idea of what career path they want to embark on when it comes time to sit down and fill out their QTAC application forms later in the year.”
One of the most popular parts of the FEAST program is the problem-solving exercise which involves students tackling real-life agricultural, food industry or environmental problems. The students take on new identities as industry professionals and work in teams to source and filter all of the information surrounding the problem and develop a solution.
“All the students get a lot out of the exercise, learning to apply their knowledge and use networking and communication skills to crack the case,” Ms Schick said.
“For those students considering a career in the Agriculture, Animal, Food or Environment industries, it’s especially valuable in giving them a taste of life as a young professional — be it in a science, business or marketing field.”
More information and application forms for FEAST 2006 can be obtained at www.uq.edu.au/gatton or by telephoning (07) 5460 1279. Places in the program are limited and applications should be made by March 10.
FEAST is hosted by UQ’s Faculty of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Veterinary Science (NRAVS) and was developed in conjunction with the Queensland Agricultural Teachers Association.
Media inquiries: Susanne Schick - UQ Gatton Campus (5460 1229, 0409 265 587).
