Inspiring the Future Australia recently facilitated a “What’s My Line?” event at Bathurst High School for 72 Year 5 & 6 students (mainly Aboriginal) from two local primary schools (Eglington & Bathurst West). The event involved a “celebrity Heads” type of activity during which eight workplace volunteers dressed nondescriptly sat on the stage and answered “Yes” “No” questions posed by the students in order to guess what their occupations were.

While the volunteers went off stage, the students’ guesses were listed on a whiteboard before the volunteers returned one-by-one to the stage dressed in their work uniform with a prop representing their occupation.  After the facilitator announced what job the students thought each one of them did, the children called out in unison “What’s your line?” which gave each volunteer an opportunity to introduce themselves and say how maths and English is important in their work.  The volunteers then rotated around the hall between small groups of students to further explain their work, their career journey and to answer students’ questions and let the children handle their prop.

Many thanks to the following employers for releasing their staff representative/s to participate:

v  SDN Bathurst-Hamilton St- Trent (Early childhood educator)

v Regional Council – Christine (Arborist)

v  Newcrest Mining-Orange – Jenny (HR) , Annalise (Apprentice diesel mechanic & Jack (Apprentice electrician)

v  Bathurst Base Hospital- Damen (Nurse)

v  Renshaws Pedal Project- Greg (Bicycle Mechanic)

v  Tablelands Building – Alysha (Apprentice painter/decorator)

v  NSW Ambulance-Central West – Megan (Paramedic)

Many thanks to NSW Department of Education Senior Pathways and to Bathurst High School (especially to Cailin) for organising the activity.

It was a fun session for everyone and the feedback from teachers and volunteers was very positive with one teacher looking forward to running the activity for other students in her school. If you would like to take part in a similar activity, you can find out how to be involved by visiting the ITF Australia Primary Futures page at https://www.inspiringthefuture.org.au/page/primary-futures and signing up as a teacher or as a volunteer.