Future Footprints' Events

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Welcome to Country

Every school year Future Footprints coordinates a cultural event to welcome students back to school and to Noongar Boodja [Perth], however, due to the pandemic, the event was last held in 2020.

In 2023 we celebrated the return of this long-awaited event and continued the tradition of celebrating Aboriginal culture at Kaarta Gar-up [Kings Park] in February. The ceremony involves students, staff, and families who attend to honor the land and Indigenous culture. Noongar elder Professor Simon Forrest and community leader Aunty Vivienne Hansen led a meaningful Welcome to Country and Smoking ceremony. Local traditional dancers engaged students in separate gender-specific dance routines, symbolising unity and shared heritage. This year we wanted to foster cultural understanding, pride, and a sense of belonging, especially for those students who are not from Noonga Boodja [Perth].

The successful event demonstrated the resilience and unity of the Indigenous community and left a lasting impact on the students.

Careers Expo

The Future Footprints Careers Expo is a unique event designed to give career advice and planning exclusively for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, setting it apart from other career expos.

However, what truly distinguishes our expo is that we extend invitations to students from all year levels, ranging from 7 to 12. By welcoming students early on in their high school careers, we aim to provide them with exposure to various career options and opportunities at an earlier stage.

Planning is crucial for a successful transition into a career, and our expo offers access not only to numerous pathways and careers but also to accommodation and scholarship options, fully preparing students for life after school. We make sure to host a diverse range of exhibitors, including universities, registered training organisations, companies, tertiary accommodation providers, scholarship providers, and extra-curricular activity opportunities, to provide students with a comprehensive array of choices. This expo serves as an effective tool for schools to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in making well-informed career decisions.

Additionally, through the Future Footprints Careers Expo, students can connect with tertiary students and role models who have already completed their degrees, encouraging them to consider post-secondary training or employment from an early age. A core outcome of the Future Footprints program is to develop partnerships between schools, higher education institutions, and trade and training providers, ensuring the provision of career development information and supporting students with opportunities and guidance for vocational pathways.

Through the years

2019  - Careers Expo was possible with generous financial support from Woodside.

2020 - Careers Expo has unfortunately been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

2021 - Year 12 students participated online Careers Expo on May 17-19.

2022 - The first year we decided not to run the event, mainly due to the pandemic and funding.

2023 - The Careers Expo was successfully hosted at UWA and we had around 200 students from all year levels attend.

Future Footprints seeks support from companies willing to donate towards the event and prizes that are awarded at the end of the night. This year The University of Western Australia donated the use of their space.

Black & White Social

The Black and White Social is a yearly event for students of all ages to gather and socialise with each other. This allows students to develop new friendships and a broader support network in Perth.

The Black and White social is based on the values of the Coolbaroo Club; an Aboriginal social club established to counter prejudice and segregation from 1946-1960. ‘Coolbaroo’ is a Yamatji word for magpie, which was adopted, to sum up, the idea of bringing people together from different backgrounds in a friendly, inclusive atmosphere.

Our next event will be held in September 2023.

Year 12 Graduation Dinner 

This is a celebration Dinner in collaboration with MADALAH which provides scholarships for some of our students who attend our schools, by partnering with MADALAH we are able to celebrate and recognise the success of all students graduating Year 12. We ask that schools host and we include Awards of Excellence prizes. These prizes recognise students who have gone above and beyond during their education. The dinner is a highlight of the year and a fantastic culmination of a student's time at school. It is important to gather Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students together to recognise their success, and every year we see the number of students graduating grow.

Future Footprints seeks support from companies willing to donate to the prizes for these awards.