Students from RMIT University will meet with Blacktown seniors this week as part of a new collaboration and opportunity to help solve local issues facing diverse communities. 

They are taking part in the first SydWest-RMIT Engagement Challenge, where students studying humanitarian engineering will consult with local communities and together address community issues across energy, infrastructure and the environment. 

Around 16 seniors signed up for the opportunity. Last week they met the RMIT students over a Zoom call to share initial thoughts. Issues raised at that meeting include housing challenges and social isolation. 

The first face-to-face meeting of students and senior will take place on Wednesday 4 September from 9:30am to 1pm, at SydWest HQ, L2, 125 Main St, Blacktown. 

Following a ‘get to know you’ Tai Chi activity, the round table discussion will take place. 

The following day, the group will travel by bus to the Coal Loader Genia McCaffery Centre for Sustainability between 10:30am and midday. 

The Centre, at 2 Balls Head Drive Waverton, helps educate and inspire the wider community to put sustainable living ideas into practice. 

Students will then work on designs and create prototype solutions, while continuing to involve the seniors, before demonstrating a final design and publishing a paper on the experience. 

SydWest Aged Care Services Manager Mereline Murimwa-Rarami said the seniors were excited about being part of the challenge and were looking forward to sharing their views. 

“Our seniors are the experts in their own lives and are best placed to provide valuable insights and possible solutions to any challenges that they face. At the same time members of the community can gain a sense of worthiness and take ownership of solutions,” she said. 

SydWest Day Respite and Social Support Team Leader Sree VithyaHarilingam said the Western Sydney region is a diverse and vibrant area, with a mix of unique challenges, creative insights and perspectives which will provide the RMIT students with a rich learning ground and start teaching them important principles of community engagement. 

“We are really proud to be partnering with RMIT on this initiative and we look forward to seeing what can be achieved.”