Compass – The Social Inclusion Project

The University of Sydney's Compass project aims to encourage primary and secondary school children from low socioeconomic backgrounds to participate in higher education.

Through Compass, the University of Sydney encourages students to stay on at school and understand the pathways from school to university. Barriers to tertiary study include low aspirations, falling secondary school completion rates and financial concerns. For many students their parents and families have no experience of higher education, which can pose a major impediment to a student’s progress to university.

Compass provides school students with a variety of exciting learning activities, as well as information and advice for their families, professional development teachers and assistance with curriculum development. Special emphasis is placed on science, mathematics, literacy, and information technology.

In 2009 Compass has involved more than 1,200 primary and high school-age students in Sydney’s Kogarah and Marrickville areas and will be expanding to a further eight schools in Sydney’s south west in 2010.

Over time we aim to increase the number of participating schools from areas such as southwest and western Sydney and regional NSW.

Your donation to Compass will help our expansion and champion access, equality and diversity – the excellent principles on which the University of Sydney is founded.

Click here to make a donation.