For the Year 11 and 12 students at Kununurra DHS involved in the ‘Kimberley Education For Life’ program, variety is definitely the spice of life. Our school week consists of two days spent on site at KDHS where students will participate in English, Mathematics and Outdoor Education courses of study. These school based subjects are taught by Tarryn Audas.
Outdoor Education is being delivered by Tarryn Audas and Adam Hugh Mackay (Maka) from Go Wild Adventures. Maka has a wide knowledge of, and experience in the East Kimberley and a great relationship with the students. In Semester One we will be participating in canoeing and kayaking skills training, which will include an overnight expedition to Cooliman Creek on the upper Ord River. Semester Two will include training in Mountain Biking and riding various tracks around Kununurra. The first two days of our week are spent in paid employment with our host employer, putting our developing knowledge and skills into practice. Completion of a Certificate II Traineeship requires an enormous effort from students, as it takes 3 days per week over both Year 11 and 12. Students who complete the full certificate have traditionally been seen as more employable and are often snapped up by local employers once they graduate Year 12. The remaining 3 days of the school week in KEFL are devoted to achieving our Certificate II Traineeship in one of five possible areas which are; Automotive, Engineering, Business, Community Services or Conservation and Land Management. We spend one day per week at Kimberley Training Institute where we are developing theoretical and practical skills.
The unique aspect of the KEFL program is the chance to compete a Certificate II in Agriculture. The aim of this course is to get students out of their routine comfort zone, face and overcome new problems and developing various life skills which will help them to meet the challenges they may face in life after completion of high school. This year we have entered into a partnership with Kimberley Training Institute to provide students with training in and around the East Kimberley and at Gibb River Station with lead trainer Michael. The training is delivered over a seven week course which is broken up into three two week blocks and one one week block. Students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities including: Building stock yards, feeding cattle, maintaining water supplies, installation of electric fencing, general fencing, basic horsemanship, horse care, occupational health and safety, operating quad bikes, operating four wheel drive vehicles and first aid training.
Tarryn Audas
