Introducing Marcus Cooper!

Hello my name is Marcus Cooper, I am an Aboriginal year 11 student in the KEFL program at Kununurra District High School. My mother works at the Kununurra courthouse (Debbie cooper) and my father works at horizon power (mark cooper). KEFL stands for Kimberley Education For Life, KEFL is a school traineeship program that allows students to learn leadership skills and work place skills. KEFL students come to school two days a week and complete school based subjects English, Maths and Outdoor Education. Attend TAFE one day a week to complete a Certificate II in a chosen field – mine being Automotive. Finally KEFL students work two days a week in a school based traineeship which allows us to earn money and save for our future.

Students get the opportunity to gain WACE points through endorsed activities such as bronze medallion, Skippers ticket, senior first aid and much more.

Through Outdoor education we participate in a few camps throughout the year, the upcoming trip will be at Coolamon creek for our first canoeing camp for the term. Before we go on any camp we will be training and practicing for our bronze medallion. Also we will be practicing our canoeing for the upcoming camps.

A unique part of the KEFL program is the opportunity to complete a Certificate II in Agriculture by taking us horse riding, fencing, castrating, horn clipping, mustering, branding and machinery servicing.

At the end of my school year I would have learned many skills and strengths from this program and allowing me to be ready for employment. 

Last year Miss Audas held a year 10 camp, the trip was 3 days and 2 nights. We started the came off by canoeing 13km. The camp was held out at Yeeha at Sir Chris’s block. This was a taster of what the agriculture side of KEFL was going to be like if wanted to continue with KEFL as our chose.

I choose KEFL because I believe it would benefit me more by helping contain a job/ apprenteship and providing me with the life skills needed in school, life and further employment.

I got interested in KEFL from former KEFL students, about their achievements and activities they’ve accomplished such as abseiling, canoeing, mustering and fencing and about how they help find work.

My chosen field of employment would be automotive and doing a heavy diesel apprensteship, because it would give me a wider knowledge of just fixing cars.

My goal for when I finish year 12 is to be starting a apprenticeship with a local company in town working as a heavy diesel mechanic and to have enough WACE points to finish and have a acceptable grade in all my subjects.