The first group of Aboriginal students enrolled in the new Teacher in Community program at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Dubbo will attend an introductory residential school starting on Monday 27 February. Ms Maria Bennet, lecturer at the CSU School of Teacher Education in Dubbo, said the students enrolled in the four-year mainstream Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary) will be on campus for their first residential school from Monday 27 February to Friday 2 March, inclusive. “My colleagues, Professor Jo-Anne Reid who devised the program, and project officer Ms Kathryn Walford, and I are delighted with the strong interest in and support for this program from communities across western NSW,” Ms Bennet said. “We look forward to welcoming the three male and 16 female students who come from rural and remote locations in NSW: Dubbo, Wagga Wagga, Gilgandra, Walgett, Wilcannia, Bourke, Darlington Point, Brewarrina, Narrabri, Broken Hill, and Dareton. As part of their first orientation program, the students will attend on campus classes and be introduced to the technology and systems that will then support them to continue to study in their communities.” Three other residential schools are scheduled for 23 April, 9 July and 3 September. The pilot project is funded by the Higher Education Participation and Partnership Program (HEPPP) of the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.