Around 60 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from across the Northern Rivers gathered at the UCRH in Lismore today, stepping into hands-on training sessions designed to spark interest in the rural health workforce and open doors to future careers in health.
Students from Banora Point High School, Byron Bay High School, Ballina Coast High School, Mount St Patrick College, Casino High School and The Rivers Secondary College, Kadina High Campus came together for the Baribunmani Wanyi Ngay youth program.
Across the day, they rotated through practical skills sessions, including basic life support, bandaging a snake bite, and learning about the mobility challenges faced by older people. All the sessions were guided by university students currently on placement with UCRH and focused on learning by doing. Students practised skills, asked questions and heard honest stories about study, placements and career pathways. For many, it was the first time they could clearly picture what a future in health might look like.
Baribunmani Wanyi Ngay, a Bundjalung phrase meaning ‘I dreamed about you’, sits at the heart of the program. It reflects a simple but powerful idea that careers in health are possible and within reach for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.
Dr Marcelle Townsend-Cross from the UCRH Aboriginal Health team said the program continues to grow as more students take part.
“We’re seeing more and more young people step into this space with curiosity and confidence, and that’s exactly what this program is about,” she said.
“When students are practising skills, talking with university students, and hearing what the journey looks like, it takes it from an idea to something real. It builds belief.”
As UCRH marks 25 years in the Northern Rivers, programs like this continue to support a stronger, more culturally safe health workforce shaped by local communities.
