The University of Canberra today welcomed Labor’s $6million funding pledge to establish a Sport and Health Empower Program. The innovative three-year initiative would champion the link between sport and higher education to provide healthy pathways to university through active participation in sport for senior high school students.
“Australian children have high levels of participation in sport and exercise both within and outside of school,” said Michelle Lincoln, UC Executive Dean of Health. “However, this tends to reduce during the high school years.”
The proposed Sport and Health Empower Program will enable young Canberrans to experience first-hand a keen participation in sport can lead to a place at University and a career in sport, health and well-being.
While the Sport and Health Empower Program will engage participants from many backgrounds, the University will dedicate a number of places to those from under-represented groups in the Canberra region, including those from a low SES background, regional students, students with a disability and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
“A mission for the University of Canberra is to connect and engage students, staff and the community through grass-roots and elite level sport,” said Carrie Graf, UC Director of Sport.
“The University would like to now build on this excellent work and deliver an immersive Sport and Health Empower Program to raise aspirations and boost participation in post-secondary education.”
Key components of the program include on-campus sports and university camps, mentorships, online content such as training modules, leadership through ambassador programs within participants schools and early conditional offers to a range of courses at UC.
The funding pledge was announced by Labor MP for Fenner, Andrew Leigh, should they win the upcoming Federal election.
