It’s been a big week for the multitude of female students who are part of Gunnedah High School’s new Girls Academy.
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The new initiative was launched on Monday night, attracting special guests including Minister for Early Childhood Education and Aboriginal Affairs Sarah Mitchell, Girls Academy founder Ricky Grace and Aboriginal education and community engagement director Mary Senj.
Girls Academy is a program founded by Ricky Grace which aims to drive community-led solutions to help reduce the barriers that may prevent Indigenous girls from completing their education and reaching their full potential.
The program is funded for three years by the school and the NSW Government, with sponsorship from Whitehaven, Nestle and Idemitsu. The government will provide up to $6 million between 2017 and 2019 to establish up to 800 places in the Girls Academy Program for Year 7 to Year 12 Aboriginal female students enrolled at NSW public schools.
Year 11 student and academy member Lucy Lincoln said she did not expect so many people to attend the launch and she was no more confident about the future of the program.
“Usually in the community, not as many people get as involved as now,” she said.
“[I thought], ‘They’re actually going to do this. It might last longer than three years’.”
Lucy and fellow student Zoe Fleming said they nominated themselves for the program following a presentation from Girls Academy representatives late last year. Both girls like the sense of teamwork and friendship that the program brings.
“Just the support from others is really much appreciated,” Lucy said.
“Knowing that there are people here that can help me reach my goals and be my family as well.”
Zoe said she was interested in learning more about her culture through the program.
“I can’t wait for when it actually kicks off; to see what it brings to us,” she said.
The Year 10 student is a talented sportswoman who would like to combine her love of cricket with an interest in physiotherapy which was sparked in 2015.
“It would have been when I went to Hobart for cricket a couple of years ago and we had a specialist physiotherapist and she did some work on me and I was like, ‘Wow, that’s really cool. I want to do that’,” Zoe said.
Lucy is planning to pursue geology at university and hopes it will take her throughout the world.
“Since it’s such a big mining community, I could get work here and stay here,” she said.
Aided by Kylie Milsom, program manager Blanche Biles said part of their job was to find out which direction the academy girls want to go in, and help them get there.
“Kylie and I are very proud that we get this opportunity,” she said.
“[The launch] was a very emotional time for Kylie and myself.”
Ms Biles said there had been a overwhelmingly positive response to the program from students, staff, parents, the community and especially the participants.
“They really enjoy it. They have somewhere to go; a space to sit and talk. They feel safe and respected,” she said.
“It’s a whole-school community project.”
The program manager said Zoe and Lucy were “very responsible” and without even knowing it, they were mentors to younger female students.
Head teacher of well-being and team leader for Aboriginal education, Bianca Small, oversees the program and said it was the first time she had seen a cultural program of this magnitude established at the school during her 12 years in Aboriginal education.
The response has been so huge that the number of female student signed up to a contract had to be capped at 50 due to funding, though 70 girls are actually involved. All of the Indigenous female students in Year 7 are part of academy.
The 50 girls must meet specific expectations in the contract such as wearing the school uniform every day, showing commitment to their studies and respect to others, and maintaining school attendance of 85 per cent or higher. They also take a pledge to continue their schooling until they finish Year 12.
“Eventually, we’d like all the Indigenous girls to be part of it,” Ms Small said.
“The girls are now seen as a family. Prior to Girls Academy, you couldn’t have seen all these girls in one room.
“It’s definitely a big incentive, a big program for Gunnedah high.”
Related story: New opportunities for Indigenous students | GALLERY
