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Follow the Dream

Like a ripple spreading through water every Indigenous child realising his or her dream becomes the inspiration for another.

Follow the dream: Partnerships for Success (FTD:PFS) is a voluntary program for high-achieving Aboriginal secondary school students. It provides after-school and in-school tuition, individual mentoring support and case management to assist and support students to continue to achieve excellent outcomes at school, complete year 12 and attain university entry. The program also includes high-achieving and motivated students who are leaning towards undertaking a vocational education and training (VET) in-schools pathway.

Follow the Dream aims to provide these students with a supportive learning environment, enabling them to complete school at their full potential and go on to university, traineeships or apprenticeships. The Follow the Dream program helps Aboriginal students set their sights on challenging options and take the necessary steps to achieve their goals.

The program is a key strategy for the Department of Education in improving Aboriginal students’ attendance, literacy and numeracy, Year 12 completion and successful post-school opportunities and transition. These are all key priority areas identified in national and state strategic plans and agreements.

The program’s objectives are to increase the proportion of Aboriginal students who:
  • Achieve a WACE and an ATAR that allows university entry;
  • Attend school regularly;
  • Achieve high school grades and have high levels of literacy and numeracy;
  • Have a broad range of post-school education, training, and employment options and opportunities, and achieve a successful post-school transition; and
  • Have high self-expectations, and whose parents and communities also have high expectations, involvement and pride in the success of the students.
Students in the Follow the Dream program have the opportunity to:
  • Access highly committed teaching staff who provide quality individual and small group tutoring;
  • Develop an Individual Pathway Plan that provides a realistic pathway to set and reach academic and career goals;
  • Be engaged through a supportive and well-equipped facility for after school study;
  • Further develop life skills (confidence, assertiveness, self-awareness, leadership) through specialised training courses;
  • Be guided in investigating career options and employability skills;
  • Have access to tertiary motivational programs; and
  • Participate in leadership, cultural and career-based camps and excursions.
Program partners include:
  • Department of Education;
  • Graham Polly Farmer Foundation;
  • Geraldton Universities Centre;
  • University of Western Australia;
  • Edith Cowan University;
  • Curtin University;
  • Primary Schools in the Geraldton area;
  • Central Regional TAFE; and
  • CSIRO