A new Australian Research Council Linkage Project led by Griffith University aims to improve child wellbeing in nine disadvantaged communities.
Using a model that blends new human and digital resources, the $597,000 project builds on longstanding work in this area with collaborations between schools, families and community agencies..
Professor Ross Homel.
Chief investigator Professor Ross Homel (pictured), from the Griffith Criminology Institute, said the study would generate new knowledge in prevention science about how to influence risk and protective factors for child wellbeing cost-efficiently within existing service systems.
“Children and young people living in economically deprived areas drop out of school, become trapped in cycles of welfare dependence, and entangled in the child safety or youth justice systems at much higher rates than their counterparts in more affluent communities,’’ said Professor Homel, who will work with colleagues from the Griffith Institute for Educational Research on the study.
“Family support and child services are among the
Category: Griffith University Feed
Pictures paint a thousand words on how Gold Coasters value The Spit
Do the photos we take and share using social media paint a picture of how we use and value parks and other open areas in our cities?
According to a new analysis conducted by Griffith University, the answer is a resounding yes.
Professor Catherine Pickering, an expert in nature based tourism and recreation with the Environmental Futures Research Institute who is head of the Ecology and Evolution discipline, worked with two undergraduate students to analyse just under 500 images tagged The Spit, Gold Coast that were posted to photo-sharing platform Flikr by 141 people over more than a decade.
The analysis found that the beach, the ocean and waves were the most common images posted by Spit visitors, despite the fact that the The Spit also covers a lot more, including SeaWorld, Marina Mirage and Fisherman’s Wharf.
Professor Pickering said the large number of images that captured the natural landscape and tagged The Spit,
Kate earns her Masters the smart way
Despite not having higher education qualifications, a 30-year career across a wide range of business endeavours reaped dividends for Kate Crouch.
And she wants other mature age students to know that it is possible to gain entry to a Griffith University postgraduate degree without undergraduate qualifications.
“I had started a Bachelor of Business degree before a ‘eureka moment’ arrived through a casual conversation with one of my lecturers.
“It was a pleasant shock when my lecturer told me my work history enabled me to apply for a postgraduate degree.” Kate said.
The mother of three became the proud holder of both a Griffith Graduate Certificate in Marketing and a Master of Marketing two years on.
Kate’s 30 year business career began when she owned a gym in the early 1980’s before working in a slew of business-related positions from catering to marketing and training at Deloitte. A significant part of her career was spent in marketing
Does your cat walk on the wild side?
A Griffith University student has put the call out to cat owners in the Brisbane and Gold Coast regions to get the scoop on their cat’s poop in the hope of better understanding their impact on wildlife.
Renee Piccolo is an Ecology and Conservation Biology student completing her Honours research project on the potential impact of domestic cats on native wildlife through an online survey and the analysis of their diet using scat samples.
Complete the online survey on your cat’s eating behaviour.
Renee said having more respondents to her online survey will yield greater insight into patterns of cat roaming behaviour, such as the numbers kept indoors or that are free to roam 24/7, but also what animals these cats are preying upon when they are outdoors.
“Although our aim is to learn more about the wildlife domestic cats are potentially eating while wandering away from their residence, we also hope to
Bringing music to the masses
Queensland Conservatorium graduate Astrid Jorgensen is bringing music to the masses with her wildly successful project, Pub Choir.
Astrid believes that everyone can sing… and Pub Choir is the proof. Her ethos is simple: ‘no audition, no solos, no commitments, no sheet music, no worries’.
The talented singer and choral specialist graduated from the Queensland Conservatorium with a Master of Music Studies (Vocal Performance) in 2011, after winning the Griffith Award for Academic Excellence.
“The Con was an amazing place to study,” she said.
“I loved being with other people who were equally passionate about music, and I had some fantastic teachers.
“It also gave me a chance to get some contemporary performance experience – I don’t think I could lead Pub Choir if I didn’t have that training.”
After several years leading choirs around Brisbane, she hit on an ingenious way of spreading her love of singing – hosting an informal sing-along at a pub in
Shifting sands: A brief cultural immersion for Griffith staff
Four Griffith university staff, including Dean and Head of School Professor Donna Pendergast, had the opportunity to travel to Riyadh, for the First Forum on Educational Professional Development, which was hosted by the Ministry of Education of Saudi Arabia.
The Griffith Program, within the Khebrat initiative, is jointly delivered by the Griffith English Language Institute (GELi) and the School of Education and Professional Studies and involves 26 Saudi Arabian teachers. Griffith was one of four Australian university and five other countries to host teachers for a year-long professional learning program as part of the Saudi Arabian Vision 2030.
The Khebrat Program is a teacher leadership and school immersion model. Following a two-week orientation, Khebrat delegates engage with GELi for intensive language learning in preparation for their education professional learning and school immersion. In June, they commence an education intensive to develop a shared language and engagement with education theory and practice. During
An alternative-entry admission pathway for Dominic Castillo
Bachelor of Health Science student Dominic Castillo is already well into his first trimester of study at Griffith and says he cannot believe how easy the admission process was.
Dominic, 24 and from the Gold Coast, was the first successful applicant through Griffith’s new alternative admission pathway: the Griffith Personal Statement.
If students do not satisfy the minimum Selection Rank, or do not have the subject pre-requisites for entry, the Griffith Personal Statement may offer an alternative admission pathway into a number of undergraduate degrees.
The GPS is an invitation-only admission pathway whereby students that don’t meet academic entry requirements may be admitted to selected Griffith degrees on the basis of the personal and professional experience. It’s about looking at the applicant holistically and their life experiences. The actual application is a series of questions that determine their ability to succeed in tertiary study.
A complete change
Following the end of a four year contract
International business students gain unique perspective on innovative business solutions
Industry speakers offer different points of view to students, enhancing their learning experience by providing first hand insights into real world business bringing theory to life and inspire students to see the opportunities that await them.
Mr Craig Somerville, Managing Director, Reload Media.
The Department of International Business and Asian Studies was delighted to welcome Mr Craig Somerville, Managing Director at Reload Media as a special invited guest to talk to the students of 1005IBA (Introduction to International Business) on Monday 21 May.
Reload Media is a full service digital marketing agency based in Brisbane with a reputation for delivering high-quality digital marketing services across SEO, pay-per-click (PPC) and social media. Craig has played a pivotal role in the successful growth of the company from a start-up of $10,000 into a multi-million dollar company today. Reload now has 300 clients in Australia and around the world with offices in London, Auckland, Manilla and
New book hopes to slow down the ‘Fantasia’ of harmful algal blooms
Smelly, murky water. Damage to the Great Barrier Reef. Toxic build-up in fish that can be deadly when eaten.
Harmful algal blooms can play a part in all of these issues, but a new book that has been co-edited by a Griffith University expert reveals there are ways to reduce the occurrence of damaging blooms.
Professor Michele Burford, from Griffith’s School of Environment and Science and the Australian Rivers Institute, was part of the team of editors behind Global Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Blooms, published by Springer and now available online.
Professor Burford said the book featured input from experts from around the world and collated their research from the past 10 years into one place on the causes, impacts and management options for harmful algal blooms, which she said was a growing problem worldwide.
“The blooms are a problem is for a range of reasons,” Professor Burford said. “They can be
Griffith Business School represents University at Hult Prize Challenge
A team of four undergraduate students represented the University at the regional stages of the 2018 Hult Prize Challenge. The Hult Prize is an annual, year-long competition that brings together the brightest college and university students from around the globe after challenging them to solve a pressing social issue.
Former US President Bill Clinton is the official ambassador for the Challenge. Bill Clinton personally selected this year’s challenge theme: “Harnessing the Power of Energy to Transform the Lives of 10 Million People”.
The multi-disciplinary team was selected out of a record number of applicants (more than 100,000) to take their plan to tackle inefficient waste management practices and access to clean energy in Southern Africa to San Francisco in March. During this time, more than 50 teams from around the world competed for a place in an eight-week, all-expenses-paid, start-up accelerator in the United Kingdom.
“We pitched an idea to create a scalable,