The Mid North Coast Science Hub, an initiative of Charles Sturt University (CSU), Mid Coast Connect, and the Macleay Valley Education and Skills Forum, will be launched at Kempsey Shire Council Chambers on Tuesday 2 September. The Science Hub has been established to unite local stakeholders, including educators and industry members with an interest in science, to promote science to more people on the Mid North Coast. Mr Johnathan Hewis, lecturer in medical imaging in the School of Dentistry and Health Sciences at CSU in Port Macquarie, said, "The Science Hub is an exciting development to promote interest and practical developments in science in this region. There are a wide range of science-based organisations in our community, many of which are little known, and businesses that are looking for opportunities to adopt and develop scientific applications. And unlike their metropolitan counterparts, students in regional communities often don't have the same opportunities to access science-based events. The Science Hub's first step to change that will be to stage a dynamic two-day Science Festival in November. Regional industry partners and science professionals from Charles Sturt University and the Australian Museum will lead a range of hands-on activities for primary and secondary school students which we hope will inspire some of them to pursue a career in science."

A free public lecture at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Port Macquarie on Wednesday 27 August will explore national policy and developments in the field of early childhood education. The CSU Explorations Series public lecture, titled 'The National Early Learning Framework and future directions in early childhood education', will be delivered by CSU Foundation Professor of Early Childhood Education, Jennifer Sumsion. "The last six years or seven years have seen unprecedented policy developments in Australia aimed at improving the quality of early childhood education," Professor Sumsion said. "How are we travelling as a country in terms of our educational provision for our youngest children, and what still needs to be tackled if we are to achieve one of the best education systems in the world?" The public lecture will be held from 5pm Wednesday 27 August at the Glasshouse Theatre, corner Clarence and Hay Streets, Port Macquarie. For more information, contact Ms Alison Woods on 6582 9334 or alwoods@csu.edu.au.

Paramedic students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Port Macquarie will join medical students from University of NSW (UNSW) on Thursday, 14 August to treat patients during four separate simulated emergency exercises. The students will be treating several patients at emergency scenes at Rotary House on Wrights Road in Port Macquarie from 9:30am to 3pm. The students will then transport the patients in the CSU ambulance to the simulated emergency department at the UNSW Rural Clinical School. Senior Lecturer of Paramedicine at CSU in Port Macquarie Mr Joe Acker said, "The exercises aim to provide a realistic situation to challenge the paramedic and medical students to make difficult decisions in high pressure, complex environments. We also want to give them an opportunity to hone their inter professional and communications skills to enhance the ability to work in multi-disciplinary environments when they graduate." The UNSW's Simulation Educator Ms Donna Hughes said, "This joint simulation exercise with Charles Sturt University gives the medical students an opportunity to participate in and to better understand the pre-hospital phase of the patient journey. The simulations also give the paramedic students an authentic opportunity to practice the clinical handover of a patient in the emergency department - an important skill to master."

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Port Macquarie will take a significant step forward with a ground-breaking ceremony for the $42 million stage one of its new campus on Friday 8 August. Head of Campus at CSU in Port Macquarie, Emeritus Professor Ross Chambers, will welcome guests to the Lake Innes campus site five kilometres from central Port Macquarie. "This is a very exciting for Charles Sturt University and an important landmark for developing education on the NSW Mid North Coast," Professor Chambers said. "The ceremony will formalise the start of construction on stage one of Charles Sturt University's permanent campus at Port Macquarie. It will accommodate over 1 000 students and 100 staff, and support a broad range of courses and research drawn from all Faculties. The University acknowledges the strong support of the Mid North Coast community and the hard work of many people from the community which has made the establishment of a permanent campus at Port Macquarie possible." Professor Chambers noted that planning is well advanced for developing student accommodation at Port Macquarie and preliminary planning has commenced for stage two of the campus. Find out more about the new campus to be constructed by Watpac Limited here.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) has launched a new grants program aimed at forming strong, relevant and collaborative partnerships with its communities. Head of Campus at CSU in Port Macquarie,  Emeritus Professor Ross Chambers, said the Community-University Partnership (CUP) program complemented the University's mission is to advance higher education opportunities and research that meet the particular needs and aspirations of regional communities. "The CUP program is a very welcome resource to support Charles Sturt University's engagement with its communities and I am sure that the program will be enthusiastically supported on the Mid-North Coast," Professor Chambers said. "The program demonstrates the wide range of ways in which a university in a regional setting is able to work with and add value to its community." The CUP program offers grants in several categories: Rural and Regional Schools Development, Rural and Regional Arts and Culture, Rural and Regional Sports Development, 'Healthy, Active, Sporting Regions', Rural and Regional Community Integrated Research Grants, and Rural and Regional Indigenous Community Engagement. The program is open to not-for-profit community organisations such as sporting and cultural bodies, schools, health and social service organisations, faith-based organisations and local councils. More information is available from the University's Community Portal.

Higher education opportunities on the NSW Mid North Coast will be on show during iDay at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Port Macquarie on Thursday 26 June. The annual information day will showcase the expanding number of courses available on then NSW Mid North Coast including accounting, advertising, business studies, criminal justice, education (K-12), graphic design, gerontology, medical imaging, paramedics, psychology, public relations and social work. The iDay, which is part of the University's MyDay program, will be held in three sessions, from 10 am to noon, 1 to 3 pm and 5 to 7 pm at CSU at 27 Grant Street in Port Macquarie. Each session will include a presentation by University Admissions Centre (UAC) staff and information about the new CSU campus due to open in Port Macquarie in February 2016. CSU staff from the courses available through Port Macquarie in 2015 will be available to speak with student leavers and those attending iDay will be offered a tour of medical imaging facilities. CSU Prospective Student Advisor at Port Macquarie, Ms Bernadette Gammon said, "We look forward to seeing Mid North Coast school leavers and their families as well as other members of the local community who are considering taking up the growing number of higher education opportunities available through Charles Sturt University at Port Macquarie." Register for iDay online here or telephone 1800 334 733.

Representatives of Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Port Macquarie and the Hastings Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG) will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Wednesday 18 June. The MoU represents a shared commitment to achieve equitable access and successful education and training outcomes for Indigenous students. It provides a framework founded upon the principles of mutual respect and empowerment, and embodies the values, commitments and recommendations of CSU's Reconciliation Statement and Indigenous Education Strategy. Head of Campus at CSU in Port Macquarie, Emeritus Professor Ross Chambers, said, "The Hastings AECG has been very successful in promoting an integrated and cooperative approach to Indigenous education among education providers at all levels, and in engaging the community with education providers. The MoU is intended to strengthen CSU's cooperation with the AECG and will result in strong communication with and advice from the community on needs and priorities to inform CSU's Indigenous Education Strategy at Port Macquarie." The MoU will be signed at 6pm Wednesday 18 June at suite 2, 27 Grant Street, Charles Sturt University in Port Macquarie.

Senior high school students on the Mid North Coast attended workshops about careers in health organised by Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Port Macquarie last week. About 60 students in Years 10, 11 and 12 participated in the 'Hands Up 4 Health' program at the Port Macquarie Base Hospital on Tuesday 3 and in Kempsey on Thursday 5 June. The program showcased a range of professional health careers. Students were also advised about the subjects which will benefit a career in health, and given information about various career options and the availability of courses in the local area. CSU Indigenous Student Support Officer, Ms Helene Jones, said, "Students were able to have a 'hands-on' experience in a hospital environment, talking to radiographers, medical imaging specialists, midwives, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses, administration officers, technicians, pathologists, and environmental health officers. Students were fully engaged and participated in all activities. The program broke down some misconceptions for some students and made them all think that a health career is a realistic option for them."

Charles Sturt University (CSU) students on the Mid North Coast will be presented with a range of scholarships and awards at a ceremony in Port Macquarie on Friday 23 May. The event will be hosted by Emeritus Professor Ross Chambers, the Head of Campus at CSU in Port Macquarie, and the Deputy Chancellor, Ms Kathryn Pitkin, with Associate Professor Gayle Smythe, Associate Dean of Research. Professor Chambers said, "We are very proud of the students at Port Macquarie and their achievements, and also of the contributions that they and their families are making to the successful establishment of Charles Sturt University on the Mid North Coast. The University's scholarships are created through community and business support, and this has developed very well already at Port Macquarie. We gratefully acknowledge our donors and supporters." The ceremony will include: School of Biomedical Sciences – Executive Dean's Award's for Academic Excellence for 2013 outstanding performance in the Bachelor of Clinical Practice (Paramedic) course: Ms Helen Atkins (for Session 1); Mr Adam Rowsell (for Session 1); Adam Rowsell (for Session 2); Mr Patrick Boyle (for Session 2) and Mr Lewis Heywood (for Session 2). School of Dentistry and Health Sciences - Elsevier Science Australia Award for Academic Excellence in First Year Medical Radiations Clinical Practice and Techniques, awarded to the student enrolled in the first-year of Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science course who achieves the best overall raw scores in the subjects Professional Fundamentals, and Introductory Medical Radiation Science: to Ms Jodi Webb. CSU Foundation scholarships to Ms Jody Denny (Bachelor of Social Work), and Ms Yvette Coulon, (Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science). Lions Club of Port Macquarie, Tacking Point Scholarship, to Ms Amy Bourke (Bachelor of Social Science - Psychology). CSU Foundation CEFA Scholarship to Mr Nathan Ross, Bachelor of Clinical Practice (Paramedic). Lions Club of Port Macquarie, Tacking Point: Mr John Urquhart to be presented with the Certificate of Appreciation from CSU.The scholarships will be presented in Room 116 at Charles Sturt University, 27 Grant Street, Port Macquarie, following a welcome and morning tea starting at 10am Friday 23 May.