Last week, I had the pleasure of sitting on a panel for the Educate Plus Roundtable for Admissions for the NSW/ACT chapter. With more than 30 people in attendance, the room was packed, and the atmosphere was buzzing.
For independent schools in Australia, Educate Plus plays an important role for those who work in admissions. Educate Plus is a 2,300 strong member-driven organisation that provides professional development, best practice, mentoring and support to those working across the four pillars of educational Advancement, which include professionals from Admissions, Alumni and Community Engagement, Marketing and Communications and Fundraising.
For CRICOS-registered schools, this network is pivotal. Schools are unique in that instead of having an international team, and they often have one person whose role includes but is not limited to international recruitment, care and support for overseas students. It’s a mighty task for that singular person, and they are often siloed in their role.
My fellow panellist and long-time expert in international recruitment for schools, Bec Carolan, (Head of Enrolments, Ravenswood School for Girls) pointed out the importance of a network of other professionals to help, support and just ask questions of. She generously shared her own goals, strategies, and tips for international student admissions. The interest in the room was clearly there, more than a third of participants were CRICOS registered. They were very grateful to have the opportunity to share ideas and meet one another.
Grant Birse, Head of Community Engagement at the Redlands School, added, “The Educate Plus network was pivotal in me both setting up and finessing an international program from scratch in a previous independent school role. The wealth of generous experience, expertise and advice shared through the Educate Plus network provided a fast-tracked and successful implementation of an international program that yielded immediate results in engagement across admissions, alumni, and philanthropic endeavour.”
While the participating schools may be independent, they are far more collaborative than that title suggests.
“It’s professional development opportunities like these that showcase the true value of belonging to an association where practitioners are so willing to share their knowledge and expertise for the benefit of others in the industry. As a membership organisation that thrives on the work of volunteers, we are truly inspired by those who go above and beyond to organise such events, and we are grateful to work alongside Partners, whose generous support enables us to provide such meaningful opportunities to our membership.” Said Danielle Hargrove, Marketing and Communications Lead, Educate Plus
Overall, the day was a resounding success, and people stayed long past the closing remarks. There is always so much to discuss and so many connections to be made.
