UWA Master of Business Analytics student Pavithra Balashanmugam, combined her skills and volunteer experience to support better Early Years outcomes with the City of Kalamunda, through a recent McCusker Centre for Citizenship internship.

Before moving to Perth for her postgraduate studies, Ms Balashanmugam was working as a data analyst in India, while also volunteering for a government program designed to support children who had fallen behind in numeracy, literacy and social skills due to school closures during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Settling in at UWA, she started looking at opportunities to broaden her experience.

“When I learned about the McCusker Centre internships, it felt like a fortunate opportunity – a chance to combine my technical expertise in data analytics with meaningful work that could positively impact the community,” she said.

Recognising her experience and interests in her application, the centre’s team selected her for the Early Years Research intern role with the City of Kalamunda, where she developed a social audit to help create a directory for all available community services for children aged zero to five years.

“This audit is part of a broader project aimed at improving suburbs within the city by addressing the key domains identified in the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC),” Ms Balashanmugam said.

“The project seeks to ensure that early childhood development progresses appropriately across five domains: physical health and wellbeing, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive skills (school-based), and communication skills and general knowledge.

“The project also aims to raise parents’ awareness of the critical connection between play and childhood development. The directory will serve as a practical resource, helping parents access services that support their child’s development in these areas, ultimately promoting overall growth appropriate to the child’s age and enhancing school readiness.”

City of Kalamunda youth and community development officer Samantha Cranswick said that having Ms Balashanmugam’s support for the project had been an incredible help.

“Pavithra brought a new perspective to the program and delivered the city’s first ever social audit. Her work will be the basis of a brand-new parents’ hub for local families acting as a one stop shop website platform for parents to find the information they need,” Ms Cranswick said.

“Pavithra was such a great fit with the team, she was so adaptable jumping in and supporting at key youth services programs including the Youth Week program and the city’s first ever Town Booster project, which was featured on ABC news.”

The experience gave Ms Balashanmugam a deeper understanding of the local community and social and systemic challenges.

“While helping organise Youth Week events, I learned that some children attended solely for food and drinks. Witnessing realities like this highlighted for me the profound connection between socio-economic factors, education, and future employment opportunities, underscoring the importance of community support in addressing these challenges,” she said.

“I would absolutely recommend a McCusker Centre internship to other students. You can gain experience in a professional setting while also finding satisfaction in knowing that your work can positively impact the community.

“Regardless of the field you are placed in, the internship offers broad exposure to real-world projects and challenges.
As an international student, I found it particularly beneficial for gaining insights into the Australian work culture, which has been an important part of my personal and professional growth.”