Indigenous Student Services manager at Swinburne University's Moondani Toombadool Centre Joel Boojers says peer connection is a major factor behind success in tertiary education.

Since 2022, MTC has ran its On-Country Development Program with First Nations students to dive into cultural understanding and leadership skill development.

After their first couple of trips into areas across regional Victoria, nine students, from a range of courses, undergrad, post-grad and VET, headed to Gimuy (Cairns) in 2024.

"It was an initiative that we explored after COVID as a way to better connect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students at Swinburne," Mr Boojers said, "it was built on wellness and well being, resilience and cultural growth".

"It's really about giving mob that are enrolled the best opportunity to connect with each other and different different nations across Australia".

Mr Boojers says MTC, who fully-funds the trips, makes sure to "do our homework" and engage with local youth or leadership programs.

This year, the students got involved with Deadly Inspiring Youth Doing Good, a self-described 'youth-led organisation aiming to inspire, equip and empower the next generation to take action that changes their world'.

The group also travelled to Dawul Wuru, Kaba Kada, Mossman Gorge, and the Great Barrier Reef for outdoor activities and cultural experiences, like yarning circles.

"They form relationships with their peers and connections. And that's a really big thing, because we find once they're connected to other students or to us there success of getting through uni and TAFE is much higher," Mr Boojers said.

"(In feedback) they've specifically spoken to widening their cultural experience and their own individual identity, cultural identity, yeah. So just things like that. It's stepping out of their comfort zone, building resilience.

"It's a really considered program just based on getting the best out of everyone."

MTC was established in 2019, both housing research and education and supporting First Nations students at Swinburne.

Mr Boojers said alongside an increase in Indigenous student enrolment, scholarships and programs, the centre takes a 'quality over quantity approach, and we just embed a real sense of community as widely as we can."

"It's important to engage students that are in Victoria, you know, and equally as much as it is to the students in Melbourne," he said.

"We find the real benefit of MTC and our team…once we connect with students, we can we're along with their journey for the whole time… and that gives us the opportunity to really be along the ride with it, with their personal and cultural growth"