23 February 2005

Only a few days remain for Year 11 and 12 students to apply for one of the limited spots available in The University of Queensland`s (UQ) increasingly popular FEAST program.

Held at the Gatton campus every Easter break, FEAST 2005 will run from Monday, March 28, to Friday, April 1, with applications to attend closing this Monday, February 28.

Catering particularly for students interested in animal and veterinary science, agriculture and horticulture, agribusiness, food science and the environment, the bumper program this year includes a mix of practical sessions, problem solving, sporting and social activities at UQ`s Gatton and St Lucia campuses.

One of the few residential schools offered anywhere, FEAST is especially valuable students wanting to check out career opportunities and university before they submit their QTAC forms later in the year.

Past FEAST students such as Kirsty Wild agree.

“FEAST is a great opportunity not only for those students who are already considering going to UQ Gatton or St Lucia, but also for those students who are still undecided about where their future lies,” said Ms Wild, who went on to earn a Bachelor of Agricultural Science and is now completing a Masters in native floriculture at UQ.

“Coming to FEAST you gain problem solving skills, a taste of university life and meet a lot of people with similar interests to you.

“It`s rare to be able to visit one of the most progressive agricultural and environmental science universities. For me, to then return and study here with others I already knew made transferring to uni that much easier.”

FEAST 2005 Coordinator Brad Henderson said the program was fully supervised and limited to a maximum of 50 participants to ensure each of the students attending got maximum value out of the experience.

“Students won`t get a better opportunity than this to get a taste of what a career as a young professional in the agriculture, horticulture, animal, environment and food industries could be like,” Mr Henderson said.

More information and application forms for FEAST 2005 can be obtained at www.uq.edu.au/gatton or by phoning (07) 5460 1229. Applications are assessed on merit and should be made by 5pm Monday, February 28.

FEAST is hosted by UQ`s Faculty of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Veterinary Science (NRAVS) and was developed in conjunction with the Queensland Agricultural Teachers Association.

More information: Brad Henderson, Marketing Coordinator, Faculty of NRAVS
(07) 5460 1229 or 0409.265.587