Aboriginal Education

Aboriginal Education is an important part of Vincentia High School. Our Indigenous students enjoy a wide range of cultural programs and ativities. Our ganya garindja room is our Aboriginal Learning Hub where students receive assistance from qualified tutors and teachers. 

Our ganya garindja (shelter for youth) unit has been established following funding received at the beginning of 2010 in order to close the gap between indigenous and non-indegenous students regarding their educational outcomes.

The unit specically targets Indigenous students covering areas of welfare and education. It is also a meeting place for parents and carers where they feel comfortable discussing issues that may arise during the course of their children's education.

dhurga language program

Learning another language fosters students' ability to think and reflect about workings of language and to develop mental flexibility and problem-solving strategies. It also increases opportunities and abilities to develop interpersonal skills and cultural awareness. The program implements quality teaching and learning to enrich, extend and engage all studetns to complete the Stage 4 dhurga course.

Wayapa Wuurrk

Since 2019 Aunty Gai and Jaz Corr have facilitated the Wayapa Wuurrk Aboriginal Girls Program at Vincentia High School. A complimentary community program that supports our young women through Art, Culture and Well-being practices. Wayapa Practitioner & Teacher Jaz Corr will be facilitating the 2024 program weekly, every Wednesday Period 2 in classroom ART1. Open door to Aboriginal Girls in Years 7 8 and 9. 

dhaawarri dancers

NAIDOC Week

Deadly Awards

garindja barra barra bagan (youth land sea) program

This year (2024), Vincentia High School have been extremely lucky to be selectd to run the garindja barra barra bagan program.

This is in partnership with Booderee National Park and Wreck Bay Community Council. Our students will work alongside these amazing community organisations and learn to care for and manage the land and waterways in our area.

We are excited to have the opportunity to deliver this progrm alongside our Aboriginal community and will showcase some of the projects they will work on in the near future.

Thank you to the National Indigenous Australians Agency who are funding this much needed and certainly exciting program.

Clontarf Academy

In 2019 Vincentia High School partnered with The Clontarf Foundation to start an academy at school. The Clontarf Foundation exists to improve the education, discipline, life skills, self-esteem and employment prospects of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men, and by doing so, equips them to participate meaningfully in society.

Clontarf provide full time mentoring and support to young Aboriginal men throughout their high school years and assist them with their transition to further training or employment. Brock Balgowan, Jackson Webb, Jack Ardler and Jayde Tooth are our full-time Clontarf staff mentors who are based in the Clontarf academy room to support the 97 young Clontarf men currently enrolled at Vincentia High.

The mentors counsel students on a range of behavioural and lifestyle issues whilst the school caters for their educational needs. Using a comprehensive approach of supportive relationships, a welcoming environment, and a diverse range of activities, the students develop improved self-esteem and confidence. The Foundation believes that failure to experience achievement when young, coupled with a position of under-privilege can lead to alienation, anger and more serious consequences. As a prelude to tackling these and other issues, participants are first provided with an opportunity to succeed and in turn raise their self-esteem.

The Foundation’s approach has been very successful, not only in attracting young men to school and retaining them but also in having them embrace more disciplined, purposeful and healthy lifestyles, developing them into respectable young men.