First Day Twenty 10

Six kids arrived down for the the start of 2010

Five came from Melville Island, from Snake Bay and Garden Point.

Noreen commences her third year and she comes from Nguiu on Bathurst Island





Selina return, for her second year - both Noreen and Selina have outstanding records at Downlands.

We have been operating since the middle of 2006 and over twenty kids have been through the program so far.

It is hard to quantify success, but the number who graduate and go on to get a PhD cannot be our criteria!

Our first effort with educating Tiwi was in 1970 and having lived on the Island, you realize that even a six months stay at a Southern College, can be a profound contribution for the Good.

But our short term aim is to get kids who do at least two years, because it takes effort to keep this program going, and we need to set standards.

This year we have collaborated with the parents of the successful students, they understand what a kid needs to flourish at Downlands, and they have done the selection.

For the time being, we have only girls. Girls are the most vulnerable in a community that is struggling, and the parents see the benefits and work harder to keep the kids at school.