With entries closing this Friday 2 July, young people around NSW and the ACT are finding their creative streak as final entries to the 2010 Making a Difference (MaD) competition flow in to MaD headquarters at Charles Sturt University (CSU). This CSU School of Humanities and Social Sciences Social Justice Innovation Award offers senior high school and TAFE students the platform to write about Making a Difference and it seems there are plenty of topics to choose from. “The task is to write an engaging story/poem/script that is creative and addresses an issue of Social Justice. It could be fictional or non-fiction. The four major winners each receive a $250 cash prize. In addition, Charles Sturt University also makes a donation of $250 to the charity of choice of the winners,” explains Dr Bill Anscombe. For more information, and to see the winners from 2009, visit www.csu.edu.au/student/mad/ .

It has been a busy few months for Ms Amanda Davies, a lecturer with the School of Policing Studies  at CSU in Goulburn. The award-winning lecturer recently published a book and conducted research in the United Kingdom (UK) and Canada. The CSU academic visited the UK to research the use of simulation in policing training. “I am interviewing police in the field who have undertaken training through simulation and reflecting on how this has impacted on their professional practice. The research seeks to inform the design, implementation and educational benefits of using simulation in the future training of police.” Ms Davies then moved onto Canada for the implementation of Problem Based Learning in policing. “In Canada, I travelled between the Durham Regional Police Service and Sudbury Regional Police, meeting training officers, field offices and recruits to understand how they have implemented the Problem Based Learning concepts into their recruit training.” Ms Davies’ new book evaluates the impact of delivering fire investigation studies using a CD-ROM with virtual fire scene scenarios.

The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) has invested over $1 million in the research and development of commercial bio-pesticides at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga. Heading the research team is Associate Professor Gavin Ash from the School of Agriculture and Wine Sciences  at CSU in Wagga Wagga and acting Director of the EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation  – an alliance between CSU and Industry & Investment NSW. “Integrated pest management programs that reduce the reliance on chemical pesticides are likely to provide better management strategies to ensure a sustainable future for the Australian grain industry,” said Professor Ash. The current project, which focuses on the management of aphids, has been funded for three years until middle 2013.

A unique educational program for young people will be revealed during a public lecture hosted by Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga on Thursday 8 July. The ‘Putting Youth in the Picture’ (PYP) program was created by Queensland lawyer, Mr Adair Donaldson, to help local communities deal with issues confronting youth. “Our program uses a series of authentic but confronting movie scenarios to show how young people can become involved in life altering incidents as a result of poor decision making,” said Mr Donaldson. “The issues presented and discussed include sexual assault, a bar-room fight, illegal recreational drugs, binge and underage drinking.” Mr Peter Bell, Manager, Residential Operations with the Division of Student Services at CSU in Wagga Wagga said, “Charles Sturt University is extremely fortunate to be one of only two universities outside Queensland to deliver this impressive program.”

Images capturing how students can learn "from the heart" make up an exhibition opening in the Albury City Council Chambers foyer in June. The photographs were taken as part of a collaborative project between speech pathology and photography students from Charles Sturt University (CSU) and the parents of children with significant disabilities. The local parents are employed as tutors for the second year CSU speech pathology students in a project funded by Albury City. The images were taken while the speech pathology students were working directly with the local parents and their families in their homes. "Through their direct involvement in our course, these parents contribute to educating a generation of speech pathologists who are highly aware of issues and conflicts associated with parenting a child with severe communication difficulties," project coordinator Dr Ruth Beecham said. As part of the exhibition and the project, members of the public are invited to comment on the photographs and the messages shown through them.

Sharing knowledge and skills on current environmental issues facing Australia is the aim of the national Students of Sustainability conference being held in Perth, Western Australia in July. About 20 Charles Sturt University (CSU) students, many from the University’s School of Environmental Sciences, are currently raising funds to attend the conference, which runs from Monday 9 to Friday 13 July. The students aim to practice what they preach, hiring a bus rather than flying, which places more greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide in the upper atmosphere. “Environmental issues and sustainable living are providing increased concern and awareness within our local community. Students who participate will share the knowledge and experiences they gain in Perth with the Albury community and CSU students,” student leader Peter Barrett said. The group already has donations from the CSU School of Environmental Sciences, the Albury-Wodonga Campus and the local student association and is seeking further assistance from the Albury-Wodonga community.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) student, Luke Tooze is confident as he prepares for his shot at national stardom after being selected in the Australian Idol Top 100. It is an exciting time for the 21 year old, who is into his second year of a teaching degree on CSU’s Wagga Wagga Campus. The path to possible musical stardom began when he impressed judge Ian Dickson at the first Australian Idol auditions held in the Riverina at CSU’s Joyes Hall in April. The journey continued this month at a second audition in Melbourne when Luke caught the attention of all four Australian Idol judges with his unique vocal style. The CSU student and his guitar are now bound for the Sydney auditions on June 18. Luke has been busking around the NSW inland city of Wagga Wagga in preparation for the next challenge in his quest to become an Australian Idol.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) and its students are fostering greater understanding and tolerance during a time when religious differences dominate the global scene. A public discussion, Jesus and Muhammad, is an initiative of the CSU Islamic Students Association and Christian Fellowship and will be held on Wednesday 30 May. According to CSU’s Dr Ata Rehman, the aim of the forum is to encourage unity between the Christian and Muslim faiths, open dialogue and clear up misconceptions held by each religion. Guest speakers will include Dr Muhammad Abdulla, Director of the Griffith Islamic Research Unit and Mr Samuel Green, who has a degree in theology and 15 years experience in Christian Muslim dialogue. Christian Fellowship member Richard Wilson believes much of today’s tensions are due to people misunderstanding the similarities between the two religions, adding there is a lot of ignorance around, and ignorance creates fear.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) will help show the value of agricultural research to regional Australia during a one day workshop on Wednesday 30 May. About eighty senior high school students from throughout the Riverina will meet with scientists of the EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation to see what it is like to work in agricultural science. The students from years 10 and 11 will do hands-on experiments, looking at applied research that is being used to solve problems currently affecting primary industries. The students will also be given an insight into interesting career choices that many would not have come across before. The EH Graham Centre is an alliance between the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Charles Sturt University at Wagga Wagga.