In August, 120 Northern Territory and Western Australia Indigenous students under the Girls Academy Program visited the Northern Territory Medical Program (NTMP) in Darwin.

The full day of activities, hosted by the Charles Darwin University (CDU) School of Indigenous Knowledges and Public Policy included the chance to chat with Year 4 NTMP student Belinda Washington about what inspired her to study Medicine and her journey so far as a Medical student.

The Girls Academy students also had the opportunity to visit a wide range of schools on the CDU Casuarina campus in the hope of inspiring them to undertake university studies in the future.

The Girls Academy Program, founded in 2004 by Olympian and champion basketballer Ricky Grace, helps at-risk Aboriginal girls overcome some of the common barriers which keep them from attending school, including poverty, teen pregnancy, drugs, alcoholism, violence, abuse, and a disconnectedness with their culture and community.

The NTMP is an innovative partnership between Flinders NT and CDU which allows students to study medicine without having to leave the Northern Territory.