Rural and Remote Professional Practice Placements for Children's Studies Students

Abstract

Across Australia there are many courses preparing graduates to work with children in various capacities, child care workers, teachers, play leaders and other positions too numerous to mention. Many of these courses recognise the importance of practical experience and have incorporated practical components within their courses. However, many of these practices are located in the city giving new graduates little practice in the specific needs faced by children and families in rural communities. In an attempt to address this situation one of these courses, currently operating in Western Australia, decided to incorporate a Rural and Remote Practice into its program. Each year this practice is offered in a different setting, depending upon the needs of the rural community. It would appear that there are four key stake holders in this practical arrangement, the students, the staff, the university and the community. All seem to gain a great deal from their involvement in such a practical experience. This paper will describe the type of experiences offered and look at the gains made by each of these stake holder groups. Unfortunately it is not possible to capture on paper all the golden moments that were had during these experiences and therefore a video and pictorial presentation accompanied the paper at theconference.