UWA McCusker Centre for Citizenship student Janette Inwood has made a valuable step towards a career in health research, contributing 100 hours towards a Telethon Kids Institute project that explores how the school built environment can help prevent bullying and improve student wellbeing.
Janette, a Swan View resident who is studying Biomedical Sciences with a focus on Population Health, was connected to the Building Out Bullying project led by Dr Jacinta Francis through an internship with UWA’s McCusker Centre for Citizenship.
“Through the Building Out Bullying project, I was able to research and learn about a range of topical health issues and how changes to the built environment of schools could assist in reducing distress experienced by students,” said Janette.
“Some areas I assisted on gathering information on included environmental audit tools, gender neutral bathrooms and the health consequences of bullying,” she said.
Janette says her time on the Building Out Bullying project has shown her the prevalence and impact of bullying on young people in local communities.
“Working on the research project has reminded me of the importance to continue to grow and expand my knowledge of the relevant health issues affecting people of different ages and backgrounds,” she said.
The internship has shown Janette the hard work and rigorous standards required for health research and has allowed her to grow her confidence to pursue future research opportunities.
“Dr Jacinta Francis was a supportive supervisor, and I could not thank her enough for the effort she has put in to allowing students to grow their experiences in research,” she said.
“Thanks to my internship, I was successful in landing a job at Telethon Kids Institute as a research assistant on the Activated Outside School Hours Care research project,” said Janette, where she will be able to continue to assist projects that support children and young people in our communities.
Janette encourages other UWA students to undertake a McCusker Centre for Citizenship internship.
“It is a great opportunity to see how much of a difference your skills and knowledge from your degree can make within the broader community. Make the most of having the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution while also networking and expanding your career aspects,” said Janette.