Professor Carole Kayrooz, Dean of Education, Health and Science will officially launch CDU SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) at 12pm this Thursday (26 October) on the auditorium lawns at Casuarina Campus. All interested students are invited to attend the launch followed by a free BBQ lunch.
A core group of Charles Darwin University students worked on community-based projects as part of the Community Development and Social Action unit in semester one this year and went on to present their projects at the SIFE National Competition in Brisbane in July. David Heath, CDU SIFE President says: “Competing in the SIFE Nationals gave us an opportunity to connect with students from around Australia and network with business leaders from top Australian companies”.
SIFE Vice-President Miranda Lipke said: “SIFE is an opportunity to combine study with real life business endeavours that can make a difference in the community. By doing a unit that gets you out into the community we were able to apply the theory from our studies to the real world – real funding bodies, real people that are dealing with the hard questions."
“We’re now looking for students from other schools such as business, sociology, anthropology, communications or multi-media to develop projects in 2007 that have business outcomes as well as community benefits. It’s a great way to work quite independently in real workplace situations while completing a whole unit of your course,” says David.
“It also means you can tap into local business and community networks and have something solid to put on your CV when you graduate. In 2007 there are three units that students can enrol in where they devise, develop and implement a project as part of their degree," David said.
SIFE is a global non-profit organisation active in 42 countries and territories. SIFE is funded by financial contributions from corporations, entrepreneurs, foundations government organisations and individuals. In Australia sponsors include KPMG, Qantas, Woolworths, VISY and the Australian government Department of Education, Science and Training.
Working in partnership with business and higher education, SIFE establishes student teams on university campuses. These teams are led by university staff advisors and challenged to develop community outreach projects that involve market economics, entrepreneurship, personal financial success skills and business ethics.
SIFE team members leverage their personal educational experiences, the expertise of their staff advisors, the support of local business advisory boards and the resources of their institutions to implement programs that create real economic opportunities for members of their communities.
The effectiveness of their programs is judged at the national competition to be held in Melbourne in 2007. SIFE teams present the results of their projects and the national champion teams advance to the World Cup which in 2007 will be held in New York.
SIFE offers university students the opportunity to apply what they are learning in their course to solve real world problems and through the process of organising their team, developing projects and competing in the competition develop teamwork, leadership and communication skills.
CDU has three units in which students can do a SIFE project in semester one, 2007. Social work students can enrol in ‘Working with and developing communities’ (SWK343). Business students who are well advanced in their degree can undertake business special project/contemporary issues (BUS302). Creative arts and humanities students can undertake independent studies B (CAH302).
The CDU SIFE team meets every Monday afternoon. Students who are interested in getting involved can come along and start discussing project ideas for next year so that when semester starts they are ready to go.
Come to the SIFE launch on Thursday, talk to the 2006 SIFE team and find out more.
For more information about enrolling in one of these units for semester one, 2007, contact the Faculty of Law, Business and Arts or the Faculty of Education, Health and Science.
For more information on SIFE contact Linda Cuttriss, coordinator community engagement, on08 8946 6336 or linda.cuttriss@cdu.edu.au.
Visit the SIFE Australia website or the SIFE worldwide website.