Speak Out August 2020 DIGITAL EDITION

Branch News

ACT/ New south wales

ACT 129 NSW 3260 members as at July 2020

University of Newcastle SPA Information Night

event, with a total of 115 attendees. Speakers included Emma Campbell, Lisa Forbes, and Katia Ringbauer, who presented on membership benefits, SPA and private practice, and SPA’s support for new graduates. The presentations were followed by a Q&A session and breakout rooms for each university to further discuss the benefits of SPA membership. The event was very well-received, sparking enthusiasm for future combined university events for students. While we were hesitant to organise the event during the pandemic, it allowed the event to reach a greater number of students with a greater range of speakers. Students appreciated the opportunity to connect with one another and with respected clinicians in our field while staying safe at home!

In May, the ACT/NSW branch student representatives from the University of Newcastle hosted a SPA information night for students. Many students were confused and had little knowledge about the benefits of student membership. We decided an information night was necessary for students to understand the benefits of the association and to create an opportunity for students across cohorts to connect with one another. The event was originally intended to take place in Newcastle for UON students prior to the unfolding of the COVID-19 pandemic. We decided to transition the organisation of the event to take place via Zoom. This meant that we could invite students from universities across NSW and ACT. The online nature of the event also gave us the opportunity to have multiple speakers present without the need to travel to Newcastle. Students from the University of Newcastle, Macquarie University and The University of Sydney attended the

Sara Nicita & Josie McIntyre Student Speech Pathologists The University of Newcastle

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August 2020 | Speak Out