| Area Scholarship |
| The South Pacific Area Scholarships for work in the fields of Hearing and Speech were established in 1977 and the first scholarships awarded in 1981. Two Scholarships have been awarded for 2009.. Both winning entries were of a very high standard and met all the required criteria 008/9 Quota South Pacific Area Scholarship Recipient Mr Simon Mahony of Goonellabah, NSW Simon is an Auslan teacher who works with North Coast Institute TAFE (Technical and Further Education) Lismore campus; he is studying for a Bachelor of Human Movement degree and is also the chief official (voluntary position) for the Southern Cross Deaf Rugby Union. Simon is to visit Fiji in August/September to provide support for the introduction of sign language designed to improve communication skills of the deaf and hard-of-hearing, working through schools in local communities in a holistic and non-invasive manner, respecting cultural beliefs and practices. He will promote Deaf culture and its history and will also offer a program for outdoor sports – in particular Rugby Union – to empower young deaf and hard-of-hearing Fijians to participate in the activities they love. It is intended that this project will set up contacts within the South Pacific area to gain and share valid research information and to assist with the setting up of a website. Simon learnt of the QSPA Scholarship via the internet Value: $6,000 Australian ( 2008/9 Sheila Drummond Bursary Recipient Mr David Meade of Mount Waverley, Victoria David is a senior speech pathologist currently working in the Acute Speech Pathology Unit, Southern Health Dandenong Victoria; he has taken a keen interest in how people with communication difficulties use their hospitals. Institutions are required to provide accessible services to all patients and typically this is limited to ramps and widened doorways with little attention paid to communicative access. David intends to attend a program with Connect UK, a communication disability network that aims to “improve services and increase opportunities available for people living with communication disability by changing attitudes and practices in service provision” ; David will subsequently visit hospital sites where significant changes have been made by previous course participants. He will use the skills gained to provide practical strategies to inspire improvement in communication skills and more serious consideration of communication access. David learnt of the QSPA Scholarship via the internet Value: $5,000 Australian “We Share” QUOTA SOUTH PACIFIC AREA SCHOLARSHIPS for work in the Fields of Speech and Hearing PO Box 337 Richmond Vic 3121 Our “quotaspas.org.au” website has been updated, to reflect recent Scholarship winners, electronic applications and the new application dates. Our website has also been included on the main “www.quota.org” website as well as various other websites, including the Deafness Foundation and Aphasia websites. We are currently negotiating with a number of other Speech/Hearing websites for inclusion, ensuring that our Quota Scholarship is well advertised, as the bulk of enquiries come through our website. Also, we have designed an A4 Scholarship advertisement, included in the Area Meeting handout, which we hope all clubs will use to help spread the word about the QSPAScholarship, a copy is available electronically from quotaspas.org.au These would certainly be welcomed on bulletin/message boards at Libraries, Hospitals, Technical Institutions, Schools and Auditory facilities etc. The annual scholarships of up to $7,000 are awarded to successful applicants pursuing careers in the fields of speech and hearing and are available to academic or non-academic applicants living in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. The awards may be used locally or overseas. Click here to see an Application Form. Click here to see the Scholarship Advertisement for use by clubs. |
| This website launched in 2001 is dedicated to past, present and future Quotarians serving in the South Pacific |