Message from the CEO
Welcome to issue 8 of Green Apple.
Recently I have had the enormous pleasure of seeing colleagues and university partners face to face for the first time in more than two years! I’ve been listening to all of the divisions present their five-year plans, and the student is front and centre in all of them. A great example of this is the way Navitas Skilled Futures has been supporting students who are refugees from Afghanistan in the story on page 8.
The benefits of failure and accepting that we all make mistakes are also touched upon in this issue by Kelly Roberts from Swansea (page 12) and Sharla Stolhandske from Fraser International College (page 26). It’s a good reminder that we are all continuing to learn as we go, and that we don’t have to be perfect, we just need to do our best.
Happy reading!
Why Green Apple?
The humble apple has long been used to symbolise a gift for teachers. Historically, it is thought to trace back to 18th century Europe, when only the richest families could afford to educate their children. But poorer farming families also saw the value in education, and often paid teachers with produce, to allow their children to attend school.
The green symbolises Navitas. For almost three decades, Navitas has been bringing education opportunities to people all over the world. Those opportunities become knowledge and skills, thanks to the commitment of teaching, learning and academic staff.
I’m especially pleased to see innovation in the areas of student retention, particularly in identifying and supporting at-risk students. You can read more about this initiative on page 24.
Also, I’m so impressed with the work being done as part of the Student Mental Health project, covered on page 18.