Engage. Evolve. Empower.

Miss Rima Elhage1

1Wollongong Police District – NSW Police Force, Wollongong, Australia

Wollongong Police District (WPD) has worked with local educational institutions for many years to promote safety and crime prevention awareness to international students. From basic colourless printouts to dynamic and fun poster campaigns, WPD aimed to evolve and develop strategies to meet the needs of the international students in the local area (ranging from 5000-10,000 students over the past 10 years). Working with international students, our most current project is a safety and crime prevention video which addresses issues prevalent to all international students. The video has now been subtitled in multiple languages and can reach international students across the and overseas. The safety video highlights the way in which our proactive strategies have evolved to meet the needs of students – we were able to change from text heavy information sheets and pamphlets, to simplified visual posters and messages, to a video that provides audio-visual information to ensure that messages are understood by the audience. This video aims to empower students and families in their decision to study in Australia and equip them with knowledge to stay safe and access support. This video is an example of a local initiative which has continued to grow allowing it to evolve into a resource that is applicable both on and off shore. It highlights a successful collaboration between local services working together to develop successful products.
The presentation will highlight the importance of the networking involved, contents of the video, the modifications that have allowed it to reach the successful point that it is currently at (a state-wide and international resource) but also very importantly, the presentation looks at the journey of how we (NSWPF) got to have this great resource and the reception that it has had.


Biography:

I have worked for the NSWPF for 10 years and have the international student portfolio as a component of my work during. My primary role is to be the link between police and community and create successful working relationships between the two. The University of Wollongong is a significant stakeholder in the Illawarra and across the state as a university that attracts students from near and far due to its ranking. I have had many successful projects working with officers and the community. Prior to working with the NSWPF I completed a Bachelor of Sociology and a Diploma of Education.

 

 

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