Merry Christmas dear colleagues and friends! The long awaited break is almost here! Please let us know if you do not wish to receive this Newsletter!
GOODBYE CHRIS
Our coming AGM on 11th December will see the departure of Chris Gulaptis, our very popular NCCP Board Chairman. Chris is now working up at Mackay but hopes to return to Maclean and NCCP sometime in the future. Chris played a very large part in the establishment of our project in late 2002 which was then known as Clarence Valley Computer Project. At that time Chris was Mayor of Maclean Shire Council and convened a meeting of local community and TAFE representatives to make sure our project got up and running. In 2004 we adopted the name North Coast Computer Project and set up in Macksville in 2005. On behalf of the rest of the Board members – Mark Bathgate, Aunty Muriel Burns, Sue Hughes, Lyn McGuire, Sue Nash and Gary Williams, we wish you all the best Chris and thank you for all the years of service, dedication and commitment to the North Coast Computer Project, your name will always be associated fondly with the project, and we thank you most sincerely. On a personal note from Bernie I also want to mention Chris, how much I have appreciated your confidence in me and support of my efforts and for the excellent advice and counselling you have given me over the years.
HELLO TODD & SHIRLENE
We welcome new workers Todd Revis and Shirlene Pearce to North Coast Computer Project based out of Maclean Campus. Todd completed his Certificate IV in IT last year at Grafton TAFE and will be pursuing his Diploma in IT in 2010 with support from Coffs Harbour TAFE. Shirlene was involved in the original North Coast TAFE Indigenous Engagement Project sponsored by Australian Flexible Learning Framework in 2005 that established the very first Ehubs at Pippi Beach Yamba and Hillcrest Maclean. Shirlene is a proud Yaegl woman of Yamba and will be helping to regenerate the Ngaru Village Ehub at Pippi as part of a TAFE Get Skilled course to be run early 2010.
Jeremy Billett, Mark Bathgate, Eugene Christensen, Todd Revis, John Schofield, Bernie Francis, Shirlene Pearce
GRANT FROM NORTEC FOR YAMBA
Nortec have provided a grant of $4,400 for computers to be installed in the regenerated Pippi Ehub. They are also running a Community Work Program to provide maintenance at this Ehub. Nortec as a JSA have also helped a great deal in establishing Shirlene’s employment with NCCP. Thank you very much to everyone at Nortec (especially Melinda and Kerri) and we look forward very much to developing this partnership further, working together for the benefit of our communities.
AND FROM WESTPAC FOUNDATION (through Workventures)
NCCP received a grant of $13,200 from Westpac Foundation through Workventures to provide 40 computers to Aboriginal communities. These computers have gone into the Ehubs at Tabulam and Box Ridge and for additional students at Muli Muli and Macksville/Bowraville. This grant has helped us enormously in our efforts to provide better services to our communities. We aim to establish a wireless network at the Box Ridge community as well with this grant and will update you on the progress with this in our next Newsletter. Thank you very much Westpac and Workventures and please keep us in your radar for future support as we have many more isolated Aboriginal communities in the North Coast.
NEW EHUB AT JUBULLUM – by the river (TABULAM)
This term, another Ehub has been established at Jubullum Aboriginal Community in Tabulam (white man’s word for Jubullum) as part of a Goorie IT course in partnership with North Coast TAFE’s Aboriginal Learning Partnerships (NCALP). It is always a very exciting experience going into a new community and being able to make technology available. We were able to introduce broadband for the first time to this community and this has made a huge difference. Wonderful people at Jubullum and we look forward to continuing this program together in 2010. Big kudos to NCALP Aboriginal Consultant Steve Jamieson for working tirelessly to get this course up and running.
GITHABUL RANGERS
Many of the students from the NCALP funded Goorie IT course at Muli Muli are now working with Border Rangers (or Githabul Rangers) looking after the land in their area. We’re just so proud of you guys! NCCP have maintained a relationship with this group providing IT support for their new and flourishing organisation. Many thanks to Rob Boota and Ben Pye from Dept of Environment for allowing us on board!
FIRST CERT IV GOORIE IT CLASS IN MACKSVILLE
Funding was received by North Coast TAFE from the Strategic Skills Priority program to run the first ever Certificate IV Goorie IT class. This class is being taught by Jeremy Billett and is run back to back with an NCALP funded Cert 3 IT class taught by Bernie assisted by Aboriginal teacher aide Jennie Rosser at the NCCP workshop classroom in Macksville. This is a wonderful development for North Coast TAFE and Aboriginal people in the Macksville area. This is also the first time 2 high level IT Aboriginal classes have been run together out of the NCCP workshop and classroom. We have been able top up this Cert IV class of 11 students with an additional 2 non-Aboriginal students and this is working very well. Both these Cert 3 and 4 classes will continue next year with direct support from the IT Faculty. Thanks to Head Teacher, Warwick Harman and NCALP Aboriginal Consultant, Fiona Hyland for supporting this initiative so strongly.
Mahalia and Ceclie Donovan
NEC SENIORS KIOSK AT MACKSVILLE
NCCP were approved to host a Broadband for Seniors Kiosk at our Macksville premises and which has been operating for the past few months. Many of the senior students from Macksville have formed a computer club and meet regularly to use the Kiosk. Thank you to our NCCP staff at Macksville – Kath Gunn, Mark Oldham, Adam Oldham and Cherylee Denniss … and to our loyal students who are all working together to make good use of this exciting new facility.
Thank you to everyone at North Coast TAFE and in the community for supporting us.
We have been getting good hardware this last semester from many of the TAFE campuses. We really do appreciate you steering this gear our way. We have also been scoring great decommissioned furniture which we are using in the Ehubs.
ATTENTION CAMPUS MANAGERS…
As per usual we are in desperate need of more computer hardware for our Ehubs and clients so please give us a happy Christmas during your next imminent computer rollout!!! The more support we receive the more people we can employ!
Keep smiling