STUDENT ADVOCACY

GIRLS TAKEOVER PARLIAMENT

A group of Year 11 students participated in the virtual 2021 Girls Takeover Parliament program, coinciding with International Day of the Girl on October 11. Designed to encourage greater female participation in politics, Girls Takeover Parliament offers young women the space to connect and experience the political process first hand.

The girls were able to speak to a panel of prominent female politicians and have a taste of the political process with a ‘real-life’ negotiation about a land development.

Audrey Soo thoroughly enjoyed the day. “It was really interesting to learn about the whole process, and get an insider scoop on the problems women and people of colour face in Parliament. There’s a real need to get more diverse MPs in to reflect the whole of society - it made me think how I could get involved and fulfil my own aspirations.”

Olivia Jacobs feels more confident about being a woman in the workforce after the event. “The whole guest speaker question and answer portion was very interesting. I loved the panel with Mehreen Faruqi, Tanya Plibersek and Liesl Tesch especially. Definitely an amazing experience, getting to have almost one on one mentoring sessions with some women in Parliament."

Jasiri, the organisation behind the event, is a social enterprise working to unlock the next generation of political leaders and policy changemakers, by giving young women their first plunge into politics.

advocacy

Student Advocacy

OLYMPIC CHANGE-MAKER FORUM

Congratulations to Year 12 students Olivia Loadsman and Emma Jones who were among 900 students across Australia recognised as young Australians making a difference in their communities. Olivia and Emma attended the National Virtual 2021 Olympic ChangeMaker Forum, joining change-makers from all corners of the country. Host Brooke Hanson OAM welcomed the students by saying how impressed she was with these young Australians who are having such a positive impact on their schools and local communities.

The students heard from Olympic medallists, past and present, talking about their memories of the Tokyo Olympic Games, and what the Olympic values of respect, excellence and friendship mean to them. “We would like to say a massive thank you for nominating us for the Olympic Change-Maker Award!” said Olivia and Emma. “The forum was absolutely incredible!”

YEAR 9 STUDENT APPOINTED TO NSW YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL

At the height of the Sydney COVID-19 lockdown, the State Government’s daily 11am press briefing was a highly-anticipated media event. It was therefore with great pride that the Loreto Kirribilli community tuned in to watch one of our young student activists, Alyssa Horan, appear in front of the cameras. Introduced by the Minister for Health, Alyssa was representing the NSW Youth Advisory Council to announce the ‘Friendship Bubble’ – a welcome initiative to allow young people to socialise during the extended lockdown.

Driven by her desire to influence change, Alyssa applied for a role on the NSW Advisory Council earlier this year. “In today’s society, young people face a variety of challenges. As someone with the ability to stand up and speak for young people, I want to make a positive difference. Being a member of the Youth Advisory Council allows me to share my perspectives with the other 11 members and together influence change.” Well done Alyssa!