girls academy quarterly€¦ · many conversations about why we should celebrate women around the...

April 2020

GIRLS ACADEMY QUARTERLY

Celebrating women

Photo credit: Iona’s Photography and Art

Welcome to the first edition of Girls Academy Quarterly for 2020. To say these are challenging times would be an understatement but challenging times bring out the best in people, and I’m proud to say our people have rallied to the call.

COVID-19 updateGirls Academy has made significant changes to its operations to ensure staff can provide ongoing remote support to our students for the foreseeable future. We have set up a database in each of our Academies to maintain regular contact with the girls, and staff have been given additional resources to facilitate that support. Where possible, we will use online tools to help bring students together. We are working closely with schools to ensure our systems and processes complement the approach taken by education departments across Australia to the evolving situation.

Great startWe had a fantastic start to the year, with 2867 students enrolled in the program across Australia, slightly above projected enrolment targets. Western Australia and New South Wales exceeded targets, with the latter expected to jump further when our newest Academy, at Chifley College, opens. Queensland and Northern Territory are slightly below targets, although several Academies in those regions have higher numbers of students than expected.

Graduate successIn 2019, 88 percent of Girls Academy students graduated or completed Year 12. Our post-school transitions team works closely with the girls for two years after they graduate to help them find work or pursue further education or training. While COVID-19 has understandably had a huge impact on employment prospects, many of our 2019 graduates are already doing great things. We look forward to sharing more of their stories in the coming months.

Each for EqualInternational Women’s Day is always a big event for Girls Academies around the country and this year was no exception. Academies celebrated with family, friends and inspirational guest speakers, while students were also invited to join celebrations held by some of our corporate partners. I was privileged to be asked to be a guest speaker at my former university,

Notre Dame, for International Women’s Day. I spoke about my journey to Girls Academy and the work we do to ensure #EachforEqual for the next generation, and received some wonderful feedback.

New AcademyWhile the restrictions placed on schools have affected the opening of our newest Academy, at Sydney’s Chifley College, we are working closely with the school to ensure the program is up and running as soon as possible. We are excited about providing our program to girls in western Sydney, and look forward to working closely with the community to ensure its success.

Strong teamWe have strengthened our post-schools transitions operations, with general manager Pat Keay coming on board late last year to lead a dedicated team helping the girls find paths to employment or further education after graduation. We have also expanded our corporate partnerships team, acknowledging the critical role corporate partners play in our ability to grow our program and reach more girls each year.

Unwavering supportI know these have been very challenging times for everyone, and there is still uncertainty about what the rest of the education year will look like. No matter what our respective education departments decide, we will continue to do everything in our power to ensure the girls in our program feel supported and connected. With the girls among the most vulnerable people in our community, COVID-19 has only made our support for their health, wellbeing and education even more critical. I know that our hardworking and committed staff feel the same.

Ricky GraceCEO & FounderGirls Academy

APRIL 2020 GIRLS ACADEMY QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER 2

MESSAGE FROM THE CEO

OF

GIRLS ACADEMY SNAPSHOT

ABOUT US

OUR BIG 4 OBJECTIVES

95% 93%91% 74%

SAID GIRLS ACADEMY MAKES THEM PROUD OF THEIR CULTURE

THE 2019 STUDENT SURVEY DEMONSTRATED THE DIFFERENCE OUR PROGRAM MAKES:

SAID THEY FEEL SAFE IN THE ACADEMY ROOM

SAID GIRLS ACADEMY HELPS MAKE THEM BETTER STUDENTS

SAID GIRLS ACADEMY MAKES THEM FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES

Girls Academy has been empowering girls and changing communities since 2004. Our in-school mentoring and leadership program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls is the largest of its kind in the country.

The Girls Academy program is community led and provides much needed support to give girls the tools they need to remove any barriers to achieving at school, finish Year 12 and go on to further study or career pathways.

Girls Academy is a timetabled program that runs within the school. The program is centred around an Academy room which acts as a sanctuary and support centre for the girls before, during and after school.

Each Academy has at least two full-time staff who work directly with the girls onsite to provide individual mentoring and support.

FACILITATE POST-SCHOOLTRANSITIONS

ADVANCE ACADEMIC ANDPERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT

INCREASE SCHOOLATTENDANCE

IMPROVE YEAR 12GRADUATION RATES

NOONGAR MAGIC Singer-songwriter Gina Williams inspired Girls Academy students to embrace their language and keep it alive for future generations at a special Noongar concert in Perth. Performing at Government House on the anniversary of the Apology to the Stolen Generations on February 13, Gina sang a beautiful suite of children’s songs and lullabies from Koorlangka, her new album with musician Guy Ghouse. Thanks to the generosity of corporate supporter Herbert Smith Freehills, almost 50 girls from Balga, Kiara, Coodanup, Clontarf and Challis Academies were able to attend the historic event. Gina shared moving and funny stories in a memorable evening where Noongar language was celebrated and elevated. The girls were also lucky enough to be given a quick tour of the beautiful building before the event.

CELEBRATING WOMEN Academies around Australia marked International Women’s Day in a range of different ways, with girls embracing this year’s theme #EachforEqual. It sparked many conversations about why we should celebrate women around the world and encouraged the girls to lift each other up and acknowledge the achievements of others. Centralian Girls Academy took their students out to Simpsons Gap, where they were lucky enough to have their photographs taken professionally by Iona’s Photography and Art. Academy rooms were also filled with love, laughter and stories as families, school staff and special guest speakers came together to share stories of resilience, hope and celebration. Karratha Girls Academy held one of the biggest celebrations, hosting about 150 people. Guests were treated to a special performance by student Florica Caplescu, who had written a song for the occasion. “We work as hard all the men do so we should get equal pay.”

Photo credit: Iona’s Photography and Art


ACADEMY HIGHLIGHTS

RIDING FOR A REASONGirls Academy took four students to Yarraman Territory, which uses equine therapy to engage, motivate and inspire participants. Yarraman program manager Jolene Walsh asked the girls what they wanted to feel when they got on the bus at the end of the day. Most said they were scared to go near the horses and didn’t want to ride. Jolene asked the girls to re-focus on their goal instead of their fears. After a safety briefing, the girls were introduced to the therapy horses. Within 10 minutes, the girls had relaxed and were learning more about working with horses. Within 30 minutes, they were asking when they could ride the horses. The change in the students was amazing. All four worked together, encouraging each other. Jolene is a local Djerait/ Tjerait woman who has been working with disengaged youth for the past 10 years. The girls loved the experience and can’t wait to go back.

DEADLY DANCERS Students at Girls Academies on opposite sides of the country have been privileged to spend time with some of Australia’s best dancers this term. Six students from Melville Girls Academy attended a one-day contemporary workshop run by the NSW Department of Education in collaboration with Bangarra Dance Theatre. Artists from the acclaimed dance company demonstrated some contemporary Indigenous repertoire, which the girls found very motivating. It was a similar story up in Karratha, where Girls Academy students were taken through some deadly moves, when Bangarra toured the region. Some of the students were also lucky enough to attend a performance of Bennelong, which tells the story of the legendary Eora leader.


ACADEMY HIGHLIGHTS

SCHOLARSHIP WINNERSGirls Academy graduates Gemima Rahmen, Jade Matthews and Shillanni Ryan have been awarded the 2020 Nestlé scholarships to help ease the financial burden of university. Gemima, who attended St Brigid’s Girls Academy, is studying biomedical science and animal science and hopes to be a vet. Jade, who attended Maryborough Girls Academy, is studying nursing and psychology and would like to be able to give back to her community. Shillanni, who went to Clontarf Girls Academy, is doing a bridging course with the aim of following her passion for marine biology. The Nestlé AYDP scholarship provides financial assistance with the everyday costs associated with university, which enables the girls to worry less about money and concentrate on their studies. We are very grateful to Nestlé for providing such incredible support. As the 2019 recipients, Tyrina Garstone and Rossica Bin Omar, recently told us, the scholarship really does make a huge difference to their studies.

Our corporate partners have once again shown their support for Girls Academy in many different ways, including inviting students to special events and facilitating workplace visits. The girls had enjoyed many opportunities before COVID-19 curtailed conventional contact towards the end of Term 1, and our partners continued to demonstrate their belief in the program as the crisis unfolded. We would like to thank Winc and Nestlé for contributing to care packages that staff put together for some of our students. Winc supplied stationery items, such as scientific calculators, scissors, pens and pencils, while Nestlé boosted the care packages with non-perishable foods such as Milo, Nescafé Blend 43 and Uncle Tobys Oats. Their generosity is most appreciated.


PARTNER NEWS

INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKERSINPEX invited Girls Academy students in Perth and Darwin to attend special International Women’s Day events. Women from different backgrounds and different career paths shared their stories, telling the girls how they had all ended up in jobs they are passionate about at INPEX. Kaya urged the students to work hard and not let setbacks deter them from pursuing their dreams. She started in administration but is now working in aviation logistics and studying a Bachelor of Aviation and International Business part-time. Girls Academy board member Irene Stainton, who is now a consultant to INPEX after years

as the company’s manager of Aboriginal affairs, also shared some Noongar history of the Swan River area the INPEX office overlooks. The girls were also very impressed with the view! Students from Northern Territory Girls Academies enjoyed mingling with INPEX staff at the LNG Ichthys site at Wickham Point, and attending their awards ceremony acknowledging the outstanding efforts of women in different areas of expertise. These sorts of experiences are invaluable, because the girls not only get insight into workplaces but gain confidence from talking to new people and hearing their stories.


PARTNER NEWS

GRADUATE SPOTLIGHTKiarna Smith has some empowering advice for girls following in her footsteps. “Just keep pushing. Don’t give up — if it knocks you down 10 times, get up 11.” The 2019 Coonamble Girls Academy student has been employed by the NSW Department of Education five days a week at Coonamble High School, where she works as a school learning support officer. Part of her duties involves helping Girls Academy two days per week, so it’s great to have her back to share her experience with the girls. It is also great for them to see such a strong role model be rewarded for her endeavours. Kiarna isn’t afraid of hard work — she is also a sales assistant at IGA after school hours and is completing a Certificate III in community services at TAFE. She received an Education Foundation Scholarship to buy a new laptop.

BROADENING HORIZONSA group of Esperance Girls Academy students were taken on a tour of the HMAS Farncomb, a navy submarine visiting Esperance port. Lieutenant Gus Williams explained what life was like living and working beneath the sea; the girls had a look through the periscope, saw what it was like to sleep under a torpedo and went up and down about a million ladders. It was a great insight into life in the Navy. Students at Karratha Girls Academy have also had the underwater world opened up to them, with the dive program in full swing. Twenty girls and four staff members are completing the course through Pilbara Dive and Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), with a few of them very keen to make marine biology or marine science a career pathway.

Girls Academy helps prepare students for life after school in many different ways, including inviting inspirational women to speak to the girls, facilitating work experience and taking the girls to and from courses. Here’s a snapshot of what some of the Academies have been up to this term.

INSPIRING VISITORSIt’s wonderful for the girls to hear first-hand the different opportunities open to them if they work hard. Gunnedah Girls Academy has been holding careers talks for Year 9, 10 and 11 students. Corrective services officer Dominique Layland, a Ngemba woman from Brewarrina, spoke with the girls about her personal journey and how she became an officer. Centralian Girls Academy students were delighted to meet the Hon. Selena Uibo, the Northern Territory Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Education and Workforce Training. A strong advocate for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, Selena was a teacher before moving into politics, and shared a little of her story with the girls. International Women’s Day events are also a big occasion, with guest speakers such as Linda Winmar, the world's first female Aboriginal professional boxer. She told Coodanup Girls Academy students about the importance of learning to “stay in her own lane” and pursue her dreams. Linda advised them to set specific and achievable goals, keep their own power and urged them not to allow other people’s negative comments or behaviours to impact their true self.


CAREER PATHWAYS

GRADUATE SPOTLIGHTLily Callanan has been very busy in her new job as a full-time graphic design apprentice. The Taminmin Girls Academy graduate has hit the ground running at Coleman’s Printing, creating designs approved by clients, and learning different programs such as Adobe InDesign and Illustrator. She’s even been working on government posters providing information about COVID-19. “The work I am doing is very inspiring. I get to learn different things every day and get to challenge myself,” Lily said. “I am really enjoying learning the different processes and procedures that come along with graphic design printing and signage.” She said Girls Academy was an amazing support in helping her obtain the position. “The staff have been so motivating by continually checking up on me and seeing how I am going.”

HEALTHY STARTBundaberg Girls Academy student Zenaya Silvester Mumford told us a little about the scholarship she was awarded to help her pursue her career dreams:

"I am 16 years old and in Year 11, and I am a Girls Academy ambassador. I am an Iman descendant from Taroom, Queensland. I was recently awarded a scholarship from Queensland Ambulance Service. This scholarship includes a two-year course in mentoring and career coaching by a local Indigenous paramedic. I will gain first aid qualifications and other health certificates to help me with my career. I would love to become a paramedic because I love to help people to the best of my ability, and I love to make people smile. My experience at Girls Academy has been amazing. I have had so many opportunities that I never thought I would be able to achieve in life. Girls Academy has helped me grow as a person and be more confident with myself. I used to be the shy girl that never spoke at events or talk to people, now I introduce myself confidently and have spoken in front of large crowds. These opportunities include being selected to represent Bundaberg Girls Academy at Government House to present a painting to the Governor and his wife at the NAIDOC reception. I was also selected to speak at the Constitutional Convention about the need for Indigenous voices within Government."

TASTE OF UNIAngel Hayward from the University of Western Australia came to yarn with Year 11 and 12 students at Kiara Girls Academy. Organised by post-school transitions officer Didi Conway, the visit was designed to get the girls excited about university life and what’s on offer at Shenton House: School of Indigenous Studies. Angel talked about career pathways, different bachelor degrees, scholarships, as well as overseas study options. It was very inspiring.


CAREER PATHWAYS

Palmerston x2

Humpty Doo

Alice Springs x2

Bundaberg x3 Hervey Bay x2Maryborough x2

KununurraDerby

Broome

Roebourne

Karratha

MandurahBunbury

Esperance

Kalgoorlie x2

Coonamble

Tamworth Gunnedah

Muswellbrook

Dubbo x3 Singleton

Kempsey x2

Narromine

Orange

Geraldton

Barambah x2

Perth x8


PROGRAM LOCATIONS

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Broome Broome Senior High SchoolBunbury Newton Moore Senior High SchoolDerby Derby District High SchoolEsperance Esperance Senior High SchoolGeraldton Geraldton Senior High SchoolKalgoorlie Eastern Goldfields College Kalgoorlie Boulder Senior High SchoolKarratha Karratha Senior High SchoolKununurra East Kimberley CollegeMandurah Coodanup CollegePerth Balga Senior High School Cecil Andrews College Challis Community Primary School Clontarf Aboriginal College Girrawheen Senior High School Kiara College St Brigid’s College Swan View Senior High SchoolRoebourne Roebourne District High School

NORTHERN TERRITORY

Alice Springs Centralian Middle School Centralian Senior CollegeHumpty Doo Taminmin CollegePalmerston Palmerston College 7 - 9 Campus Palmerston College 10 - 12 Campus

NEW SOUTH WALES

Coonamble Coonamble High SchoolDubbo Dubbo College, Senior Campus Dubbo College, South Campus Dubbo College, Delroy CampusGunnedah Gunnedah High SchoolKempsey Kempsey High School Melville High SchoolMuswellbrook Muswellbrook High SchoolNarromine Narromine High SchoolOrange Canobolas Rural Technology High SchoolTamworth Tamworth High SchoolSingleton Singleton High School

QUEENSLAND

Barambah Cherbourg State School Murgon State High SchoolBundaberg Bundaberg State High School Bundaberg North State High School Kepnock State High SchoolHervey Bay Hervey Bay State High School Urangan State High SchoolMaryborough Aldridge State High School Maryborough State High School

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Girls Academy is the flagship program of Role Models and Leaders Australia Ltd. (RMLA)

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girls academy quarterly€¦ · many conversations about why we should celebrate women around the...

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