High school students from throughout southern NSW with a talent for logical arguments will gather at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga for a debating festival on Wednesday 9 November. Hosted by the NSW Department of Education and Communities and CSU’s Murray School of Education, teams of Year 9 students from public high schools in Albury, Corowa and Wagga Wagga will compete in debating throughout the day, and also take part in workshops to further develop their debating skills. Program co-coordinator and CSU education academic Mr Paul Grover said the event offers talented students an exciting and stimulating day of academic enrichment. “There are currently no NSW-wide debating events held for Year 9 students, and the festival challenges students by encouraging competition and providing valuable debating experience,” he said. The day, which includes a tour of CSU’s award winning, environmentally sensitive campus runs from 9.30am to 2.45pm.

A rural education expert from Canada will deliver a public lecture in the new high-technology Connected Learning Space at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst from 5pm Wednesday 9 November. Professor Linda Farr Darling, from the University of British Columbia, Canada, will deliver the lecture, Rural School Landscapes in British Columbia: Mapping the terrain for teachers and teacher educators. Associate Professor Jane Mitchell, lecturer at the School of Teacher Education at CSU in Bathurst said, “Professor Farr Darling’s talk will describe research findings about strengths and challenges faced by rural schools across British Columbia, whether recommendations from a 2003 report had been implemented, and what affect these have had. Given the geographic and demographic similarities between Canada and Australia, there may well be lessons that can be applied here”. The public lecture will be viewed simultaneously and interactively by an audience at CSU in Albury-Wodonga, Dubbo, Orange and Wagga Wagga. Read more about the new Connected Learning Space at CSU here.

How to support girls to grow up with healthy attitudes towards body image and sexuality will be discussed at a public lecture in Orange on Friday 4 November. Lecturer in philosophy and ethics in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Charles Sturt University (CSU), Dr Emma Rush will give an overview of what researchers and experts have to say about the risks associated with the sexualisation of girls and explain the government’s response. “A generation ago we didn’t see fashion and gossip magazines, padded bras and cosmetics pitched specifically at the primary school market,” she said. “While sex appeal has been used to sell products for a long time, in the last decade or so imagery directly inspired by pornography has also become much more prevalent in fashion and advertising. The increasing pressure on girls to meet very narrow appearance ideals at younger and younger ages is of significant concern to experts in child health and welfare.”  The free lecture, Getting Real: Challenging the Sexualisation of Girls, will also identify resources for parents and professionals who work with girls. 

Research into the impact of climate change on grape vines has been given a boost with new glasshouses and a bird proof micro-vineyard at the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre (NWGIC) at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga. The $1 million dollar development was officially opened by the NSW Minister for Primary Industries Katrina Hodgkinson at a ceremony on Wednesday 26 October. NWGIC Director, Professor Jim Hardie said researchers are able to get a better understanding of how different climate factors affect grape vines. “Under controlled environmental conditions we can vary factors such as air or soil temperature to gain an understanding of the growth response of the plant itself but also the impact on fruit quality,” he said. The NWGIC is an alliance between CSU, the NSW Department of Primary Industries and the NSW Wine Industry Association.  

The Head of Campus at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst, Mr Col Sharp, will host a long-service awards ceremony for three staff members on Friday 4 November. The Vice-Chancellor and President of CSU, Professor Ian Goulter, will present awards for 20 years service to Dr Robert Wood (lecturer, School of Computing and Mathematics) and for 30 years service to Ms Deborah Withington (Division of Learning and Teaching Services). Ms Cobi Hofman (Division of Student Services) will also be recognised for 20 years service. Mr Sharp said, “Charles Sturt University appreciates and respects the dedicated service that its staff members provide over many years, and it is important to acknowledge and celebrate these milestones when they occur”.

Elephant’s toothpaste, screaming jelly babies and exploding hydrogen balloons are just some of the hands-on experiments planned for science teachers at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga on Wednesday 2 November.  The professional learning day will give 37 junior science teachers from schools across the Riverina the opportunity to learn about activities that address the syllabus while also entertaining students in years 7-10. Senior lecturer in chemistry with CSU’s School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences, Dr Paul Prenzler said, “This is a very exciting opportunity to work together with local high school teachers to provide them with demonstrations that will engage their students in science and show that chemistry concepts can be demonstrated in fun and spectacular ways.” CSU research into wine aroma and antioxidants in food and health will also be on display. The event has been organised by the CSU Chemistry Group and the Eastern Riverina Science Teachers’ Association.

Alpine skier and Wagga Wagga resident Mr Stuart Hume dreams of representing Australia and is in the national development ski squad. But he has reached this height by regaining his mobility after becoming a paraplegic through a horrific motorcycle accident. Mr Hume will present his story of rehabilitation as the keynote speaker for the 15th Occupational Therapy Graduate Conference at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga on Wednesday 26 October. Mr Hume’s determination not only saw him complete his rehabilitation in six months, but he has returned to work at REX Airlines in Wagga Wagga. Titled ‘Occupational therapy: New Beginnings’, the conference has papers by students completing their occupational therapy degree from CSU’s School of Community Health, and will include such topics as the impact of a major injury on an athlete’s identity, should occupational therapists be working with the Victorian Police, and the effects of the proposed National Disability Insurance Scheme on drivers with spinal cord injuries.

Thirteen Charles Sturt University (CSU) students will have the ultimate cultural experience in teaching when they arrive in Vanuatu for three weeks of teaching practice in three schools around the nation’s capital, Port Vila. The students, in their third year of the Early Childhood / Primary School and Middle School Education degrees based at CSU in Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst and Dubbo, will teach for one week in each of the schools, starting Saturday 22 October. CSU student Ms Samantha Whitehouse is keen to move out of her comfort zone and gain a more global perspective on culture. “By being open to cultural differences and different understandings of the world, I will be more sensitive to the needs of learners as individuals, which is important for a multicultural society such as Australia. I hope to gain some understanding of the local community, interact with the local people, and learn some of their customs and norms. I might even have time to smile, laugh and have some fun.”  The students are due to return to Australia on Saturday 12 November.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) senior lecturer in Human Movement Studies, Dr Deborah Clarke wishes NSW  students well in the Higher School Certificate (HSC) exams but knows that good luck has very little to do with the outcome. “It’s all about preparation and these students have spent the past year preparing for these exams in one way or another,” she says. “The ones that often do well are those who have done the extra work, using resources such as study groups, tuition in their weaker subjects and online services.” Dr Clarke has been involved in the continued development of online resource, NSW HSC Online. “This is a great preparation tool for students with practice exam papers and relevant study material for 61 HSC subjects.” Developed in collaboration with the NSW government through Education and Communities, NSW HSC Online provides access to quality education resources for all students, particularly those in rural and regional areas.