Local Knox Grammar Student James Kirk at the Country Universities Centre ahead of his last Trial HSC Exam.
The Country Universities Centre (CUC) Parkes is playing a pivotal role in supporting students during this particularly tough period of the COVID lockdown.
The centre is currently supporting over 50 students from Parkes, Forbes, Condobolin and Trundle with outreach programs, virtual catch-ups to meet other students, mental health workshops, and assisting local boarding students with their trial HSC exams.
The Centre came to the rescue of Year 12 student James Kirk who is completing his HSC at Knox Grammar and cannot attend his school exams due to the lockdown. The school approached CUC Parkes and Parkes Shire Libraries to see if any assistance could be made available to James during his exams.
The Kirk family is from Condobolin, but currently live and work on a property in Baldry, about 43km from Parkes with limited satellite NBN services, which has created a real problem connecting to online education. “Having access to the CUC has been a blessing, and the space has worked so well for James’ exams,” said his mother.
For Cordelia Moon studying a CSU Path-way Course and attending the CUC virtual sessions has been refreshing and fun. “I attended the CUC virtual mental health session, and it was very helpful and it was so helpful to speak with other students and see that they have the same fears and stresses as me.”
CUC Parkes supports students from 18 different higher education providers. Students are studying a range of subjects from Agri-Business, Engineering, Psychology and Law, to varied levels from foundation programs to doctorates.
CUC Parkes Centre Manager Jacob Cass said the centre had put in place strategies to help students. “We have invited students to participate in several virtual activities including daily ‘Virtual Cuppas’, an online trivia night for students and their families and a mental health workshop presented by Tomorrow Man and Tomorrow Woman. On a more practical front, we have offered one on one catch ups with students where they can get assistance with course work and no-contact printing services.
Students can still register with CUC Parkes to access all the additional support offered straight away. To register, students can lodge an expression of interest at www.cucparkes.edu.au, call Centre Manager Jacob Cass on 0409 119 933 or email jacob.cass@cucparkes.edu.au