In June, students from Cal State Fullerton’s University Honors Program traveled to Sydney, Australia, for a study abroad experience focused on Indigenous culture, justice and gender-based violence.
Led by Stacy Mallicoat, director of the University Honors Program and professor of criminal justice, the trip included nine CSUF students and16 students from the University of Texas, Dallas. Students were also accompanied by Denise Paquette Boots, a faculty member from the University of Texas, Dallas. As part of this four-week experience, students met with nonprofit leaders and community and justice officials to explore how issues of culture and violence impact the legal and social experiences of Aboriginal communities.
The city was their classroom as they toured such spaces as the Sydney Opera House, local museums, the New South Wales Legislature, the birthplace of urban Aboriginal civil rights movements, La Perouse and the Blue Mountains.
As part of their coursework, students learned about the effects of colonization and gentrification on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people. Students had the opportunity to explore how policies such as the Stolen Generations and the loss of land rights have led to intergenerational trauma and the loss of culture for indigenous families. They learned about how cases of gender-based violence have increased in recent years, and how Australian policies and the justice system are responding to these issues.
As part of the program, students had the opportunity to give back to the local community by volunteering with two nonprofit organizations. At Kids Giving Back, the students prepared nutritious meals for more than 150 individuals experiencing food insecurity. They also spent time with the organization, Thread Together, which works with clothing manufacturers throughout Australia to prevent the dumping of fast fashion and excess stock into landfills. Students sorted through pallets of new clothing, and prepared them for delivery to local schools and organizations that serve survivors of domestic violence, people who have lost their homes from fires and floods as a result of climate change, and others in need.
Watch the full highlight video on YouTube.
To learn more about University Honors, visit the program’s website.