The Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Incorporated (VAEAI) are pleased to share the delivery of the Toorong Marnong 2024 Koorie Big Day Out (KBDO). This year’s event was hosted as part of the Greater Shepparton City Council – Career’s Day Out in Shepparton on the 8th and 9th of May. The KBDO showcased higher education pathways, training, and employment opportunities to Koorie Learners, while also promoting community connection through culture, health and wellbeing supports.
The two-day program included 20 Koorie Exhibitors, featured guest speakers, and cultural art, and community activations. The exhibitors included the Academy of Sport Health and Education, Australian Catholic University, Deakin University, Federation University, Ganbina, GOTAFE, La Trobe University, Monash University, Parks Victoria, RMIT University, Rumbalara Aboriginal Cooperative, Services Australia, Swinburne University, Taungurung Land and Water Council, University of Melbourne, Victoria University, Yorta Yorta Nations Cooperative, Kaiela Arts, Rumbalara Football Netball Club and First Peoples Assembly of Victoria.
VAEAI are pleased to partner with organisations that have deep roots in their communities and who focus on strengthening opportunities for Koorie students to access suitable pathways to higher education, further training, and meaningful employment.
This is the third time that Toorong Marnong has delivered the KBDO regionally, after successful events in Shepparton and Mildura in 2023. VAEAI, through Toorong Marnong, now look ahead to deliver our Metropolitan KBDO in August, held in-person the first time since 2019.
The Koorie Big Day Out is an initiative of the Toorong Marnong accord, a collaborative effort by Victoria’s nine universities aimed at including Indigenous participation and success in tertiary education. It aims to encourage collaboration between universities by establishing annual forums, in regional and metropolitan locations to share information about courses, programs, educational strategies and projects currently underway.
