Stellar News October 2023 ![]() Message from Founder and CEO, Andrea Goddard After months of planning with First Nations communities, educators, State Government and partners, the Stars Foundation is delighted to have officially launched programs in New South Wales. During Term 3, Stars recruited 10 new staff members to set up Stars in four secondary schools in NSW which includes James Fallon High School in Albury, Inverell High School, Tumut High School and South Grafton High School. 91% of our New South Wales team are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander women and Stars now employs 165 staff across Australia. The NSW team met in Albury in late September for a two-day induction workshop covering all aspects of program delivery. It was a momentous occasion and reflects on how far we have come together since launching Stars in 2015. The energy, enthusiasm, and commitment the NSW team brings to Stars assures me that we are off to a great start in our newest state! We are grateful to have the opportunity to support more girls and young women in school and look forward to sharing the progress and impact the NSW team make with students in the months and years to come. Meanwhile, our NSW Stars and families are equally excited about the arrival of Stars. Stars Present NAIDOC Week Dance in Balga, WAStars from Balga Senior High School proudly performed for hundreds of people as part of the NAIDOC Day ceremony and cultural activities on September 1. Elders were invited to attend and were joined by students and staff from five local primary schools, who gave wonderful feedback to the young women about their powerful performance. The images around this event exude strength, courage and pride and we congratulate these Stars for celebrating their culture and for sharing this with the community by demonstrating confidence and leadership skills. Partners and Stars Meet at Futures Forum in Darwin, NT The Stars Transitions team hosted the 2023 Annual Futures Forum in Darwin at the NT Indigenous Business Network (NTIBN) premises in September. Approximately 35 Year 12 students gathered from the Greater Darwin Stars programs to meet Stars’ partners and potential employers to explore post school pathways. The evening commenced with a Welcome to Country with Larrakia Year 12 student, Tyrah Raymond, who was joined by Larrakia descendants, Trent and Tony Lee, for a smoking ceremony while playing the didgeridoo. Presentations from ten partners and potential employers followed, and students were then able to have conversations with partners to discuss several opportunities including traineeships, apprenticeships, and employment prospects. Partners in attendance included Woolworths, Santos, Downer Group and Landbridge (Darwin Port). Potential employers present included NT Government, Australian Defence Force, Menzies School of Health Research, the Y NT, Maxima and Trace Joint Venture. Students were also inspired with two impressive guest speakers and Stars Alumni, Shenea Tangut and established contemporary Australian Indigenous artist, Sarrita King, and both women generously shared their journeys. Thank you to all involved as it was a highly engaging event that certainly left a positive impression for our Stars in relation to education, training, and employment opportunities. Many thanks to Casuarina Senior College for making this great short film that beautifully captures the Darwin Futures Forum. ![]() ![]() ![]() Fruit Ninjas in Townsville, QLDYear 11 and Year 12 students at Heatley Secondary College in Townsville recently participated in a ‘Fruit Ninja Challenge’ where they were encouraged to express their creativity by producing a ninja creation using only fruit. Students were given time to prepare and find inspiration before the lesson and below are their edible masterpieces. As part of our Healthy Lifestyle module, Mentors wanted to emphasise that living a healthy lifestyle can be both exciting and beautiful. The Healthy Lifestyles pillar of the Stars Plan focuses on supporting First Nations girls and young women to develop healthy habits for life. Activities under this pillar centre around nutrition, personal hygiene, self-care, maintaining good health, and sport and fitness. Our Stars enjoy a range of physical activities and focus on the importance of a nutritious diet, and Stars Mentors support students to shop for and prepare healthy meals. The result is significant improvements in levels of physical activity and general fitness, as well as an increased awareness about how to maintain good health through exercise and healthy eating. ![]() Medical Attention in Mildura, VIC Stars from Mildura Senior College recently gained many medical insights following attendance at the ‘Mini Medical Day’ at the local branch of Monash University. The first activity involved a unique simulation scene complete with a lifelike patient scenario where a hypothetical patient explained their symptoms and what was wrong with them, and then the Stars were encouraged to assess the scenario and complete the correct CPR steps and 000 call. The scenario was an anaphylaxis patient who needed to be treated for breathing difficulties and the students handled the situation successfully. Our Stars then moved to the plaster area where they were given a lesson in how to correctly apply and remove a cast. Lastly students were shown how to identify sprains, breaks and masses via x-ray images, which gave them a better understanding of how a doctor use images to assess the patient’s injury. This educational trip helped our Stars better understand the many layers of complexity involved in creating excellent patient care and some of the medical employment opportunities available to them. Trip to Torrens Island Power Station, SAAs part of the Education, Employment and Training component of the Stars program, Stars from Para Hills High School in SA recently enjoyed an excursion to Torrens Island Power Station located on Torrens Island, near Adelaide, South Australia which is operated by AGL Energy. Students had the opportunity to explore how electricity is made and they met some apprentices who shared their work experiences and spoke to the Stars about potential employment opportunities. Students participated in a practical experiment focused on power generation and were treated to a great lunch by the AGL team. Thank You for Your Support Ongoing partnerships enable Stars to continue our important work and we are incredibly grateful to our partners for their recent recommitment to supporting Stars Foundation: Newcrest Sustainability Fund, PepsiCo Foundation, Woolworths Group and Clough Foundation. We welcome Snowy Hydro as a new multi-year partner supporting our new Tumut program. Stars would like to acknowledge the following organisations and people for their recent donations to Stars: Corvin Group; Mercer; Orica; John Taylor; Denise Sporr; John Holland; Proud Poppy Clothing; The Humphries Family Fund; and The Rotary Club Fortitude Valley. We also appreciate and thank the significant number of individuals who support the Stars Foundation through donations. Support Our Stars |