Executive Summary INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY DEVELOPMENT • MPower has helped 2,508 people to-date across the Cape York Welfare Reform (CYWR) communities (Aurukun, Coen, Hope Vale and Mossman Gorge) to improve their financial skills and wellbeing. Of these, 2,108 (84%) were still current members at the end of June. MPower’s inaugural ‘Bring Your Bills and Papers Day’ events in June were successful, with MPower staff in Aurukun and Mossman Gorge supporting more than 50 community members with their enquiries around stolen wages claims, superannuation, tax and much more. MPower members continue to make good progress with more than a third of members who completed a ‘You & Your Money’ questionnaire across the CYWR communities, reporting an improvement across their financial behaviour, knowledge, material wellbeing and financial resilience, since their last assessment. • Homelands had 23 members at the end of June across Coen, Hope Vale and Wujal Wujal communities who are jointly managing
the ongoing costs related to, and realising their development goals for, their homes and lands. Through Homelands, families are supported to come together and collectively save for common goals; to date more than $63,000 has been contributed by participating Homelands families. Dora Gibson of Hope Vale says: “Homelands is great; knowing money is there for when we need anything for the farm and having the kids and grandkids involved gets them more interested and invested in the property.”
EDUCATION • Student Education Trust SET) has helped 755 parents and carers from seven Cape York communities (Aurukun, Coen,
Cooktown, Hope Vale, Lockhart River, Mossman Gorge and Wujal Wujal) to provide 1,219 students with the educational goods and services they need to succeed at school. SET reached an impressive milestone in May—$1 million in total SET contributions received to-date from Coen donors, which is a testament to their ongoing dedication to their children’s education and highlights the significant role SET plays in supporting families to meet educational expenses. Lucretia Huen, a Coen donor, told us: “SET gives me peace of mind knowing that my son’s educational expenses will always be covered.”
• The Cape York Leaders Program (CYLP) Academic Leaders phase supported 119 Indigenous Cape York students to
attend secondary schools and universities across Australia at some point during January–June; of which 85% are from CYWR communities. A number of Academic Leaders have taken up leadership roles at their respective schools this year, including as Boarding, Class and School Captains. All Academic Leaders returned to their home communities in March as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown across the Cape, and demonstrated an exceptional dedication to learning from home—CYLP is so proud of their consistent efforts to prioritise their education.
• Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy (CYAAA) supported 155 students across Coen and Hope Vale to attend and achieve at
school. In Semester 1, the average attendance rate across the two CYAAA campuses was 83%, putting them in the top ten attending schools in Queensland Indigenous communities. Hope Vale students, their families and the broader community were delighted to see a YouTube video clip of the students singing a Guugu Yimithirr song Gunbu Gundala (Washing hands) on ABC News Breakfast.
• Djarragun College supported 369 students to undertake their primary and secondary schooling in Semester 1; 28% of whom were boarders from communities across Cape York and elsewhere. Djarragun College’s Vocational Education Training program
keeps going from strength to strength, ensuring that students have future employment opportunities available to them. In Semester 1, Year 10, 11 and 12 students were enrolled in a total of 562 vocational certificates, with most students enrolled in multiple courses. A highlight during the period was Certificate II Hospitality students putting their culinary and organisational skills into action to hold a café-style luncheon for school teachers and executives at their very own ‘Master Mind Café’. • Cape York Girl Academy had 20 students enrolled at the end of June, as well as two babies in residence. All students returned home before lockdown restrictions were enacted, however Girl Academy’s teaching and wellbeing staff made sure all of the students were supported under Flexible Learning arrangements and remained engaged in their education. Girl Academy is looking forward to having them all back on campus in Term 3, in particular to see them perform their very own cultural dance, which they choreographed in Term 1 to represent their connection to Country and tell stories from their homelands.
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