during the holidays, but this year
I felt that was too easy. I wanted
to challenge myself and work
help individuals and also empower
communities, while at the same
time gain more legal and research
experience. After an information
session at the end of a university
lecture, I realised that the Aurora
Project was the perfect organisation
to help me reach this goal. The Aurora
Native Title Internship Program
supports Aboriginal organisations
throughout Australia and provides
opportunities for all Australians to gain
experience in the Indigenous sector.
The Program offers legal, some social
science as well as anthropology unpaid
internships and matches students and
recent graduates with an organisation
that suits their skills, past experiences
and degree. After successfully passing
through the application process, I was
offered a six week internship with the
National Aboriginal Sporting Chance
Academy (NASCA).
completed the Indigenous Peoples and
the Law subject, which taught me that
Aboriginal cultures are complex and
diverse, but also something I would love
to learn more about. NASCA was the
perfect placement organisation for me
cultural pride for Aboriginal people, and
working with communities to encourage
social change.
by former Aboriginal rugby league
player David Liddiard, with the aim
to encourage Aboriginal participation
in sport. NASCA has now expanded
and delivers educational, health, sport
and cultural programs for Aboriginal
students, with the aim of `closing
the gap' and improving the lives
of Aboriginal youth. NASCA runs
ARMTours (Athletes as Role Models)
where role models are taken to four
remote Northern Territory communities,
Careers and Aspirations Programs
and Sporting Chance Academies,
run in Dubbo and South Sydney. I
mainly worked with the Careers and
Aspirations Program, the purpose of
which is to inform Aboriginal students
about career opportunities available
to them and to educate them on the
importance of attending and finishing
school and living a healthy lifestyle.
and created contract proposals in
collaboration with a law firm. This
proved to me that my law degree
could be useful in an organisation that
promotes community development,
which is the field I hope to work with in
the Aurora Native Title Internship Program
history allowed me to understand how
the organisation has grown and the
positive impact NASCA's programs
have had on Aboriginal students and
communities. This project made me feel
even more privileged and grateful to
be a part of an organisation dedicated
to making a difference. I believe
that NASCA's programs and their
welcoming dedicated staff members
have contributed to closing the gap on
Aboriginal disadvantage.
know what to do these holidays, but you
want to gain experience - why not at
the same time take on a new challenge
and work with an organisation that
gives you a greater understanding of
the Aboriginal sector and/or community
development? Take the challenge. It is
worth it.
internship with Aurora during the
summer or winter university holidays.
nativetitleinternshipprogram for
more information.