University of Western Australia
The UWA School Engagement team supports and engages with future students, parents and high school career advisers, sharing information and opportunities, and guiding them on post-school options at UWA through a range of tailored activities and events.
2020 has fundamentally shifted how we work, learn and live, and many educational institutions felt the full impacts of COVID-19 restrictions on face-to-face engagement.
UWA was the first university to identify the challenges in the high school community and quickly pivoted to provide virtual support and guidance to those students, schools and parents.
High schools were keen for additional support too, with the School Engagement team delivering more than 100 virtual events to prospective students. These ranged from online workshops and presentations, to parent forums and webinars with UWA academics. As a result, the team maintained a high volume of engagement with high schools throughout the year.
In pivoting to online delivery, the team took advantage of technology and provided greater information to students via frequent newsletters, keeping them informed of changes and opportunities. The Virtual Hub was also created as a one-stop resource hub for career advisers and students, and virtual advisory sessions were hosted with the Future Students Centre. The team’s virtual engagement allowed greater reach across WA high schools and collaboration opportunities with UWA’s international recruitment team.
Once restrictions relaxed, the School Engagement team hit the ground running, with Term 3 and Term 4 at capacity. The team also consulted with many stakeholders to better understand their needs and the ways UWA can partner with and support their work.
In addition, UWA Executive met with high school principals to further explore the impacts of COVID-19 in secondary school and post-school pathways, and to plan for more strategic engagement between tertiary and secondary educational institutions.
As for many, this year has been quite a challenge in ensuring we deliver the same quality work and continue to engage with our stakeholders. However, the education system thrived in this circumstance, and the UWA School Engagement team showed dedication and commitment to working with high school students, careers advisers and parents during this uncertain time.
If you would like to explore ways to work with the team, reach out to us at [email protected].