ANNUAL REPORT 2017
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY NASCA acknowledges and pays respects to the Traditional Owners and Custodians of country throughout Australia. We honour and respect the cultural heritage, customs and beliefs of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We recognise that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have spiritual, social and cultural connections with their traditional lands and waters.
Incorporation and Charitable Status • Incorporated under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006. ICN 2546. • Registered charity with Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission from 31 December 2012. Tax Concessions and Fundraising Public Benevolent Institution (PBI) and endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office as: • a Deductable Gift Recipient (DGR) • an Income Tax Exempt Charity (holding tax concessions and exemptions relating to income, goods and services and fringe benefits tax) • registered to fundraise under legislation in NSW. Registration Number: 15744 Contact Details Address: Gadigal House, 180 George Street, Redfern NSW 2016 Post: PO Box 3093, Redfern NSW 2016 Tel: (02) 8399 3071 Email: admin@nasca.org.au Website: www.nasca.org.au About this Annual Report Leanne Townsend and Verity Appleby prepared content for this Report. This Report covers our activities and performance for the period 1 Jan to 31 December 2017. Design Juliana Chow Publication details Effort has been made to ensure that information is correct. NASCA regrets any offence that errors or omissions may cause. Throughout this publication the terms Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander are used wherever possible. In the interest of readability, we use the term ‘Indigenous’. No disrespect is intended by the authors.
© Copyright NASCA 2017
contents
2 Welcome 4 About us 5 Our vision 6 Our approach 8 Our programs 18 Our impact—stories 22 A year in pictures 26 Our impact in 2017 28 Our highlights 34 Our board 38 Our volunteers 40 Finance 44 Acknowledgements and thanks
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Welcome Dear Friends, It has been another incredible year of innovation and growth at NASCA. This year saw the continued trend in expanding our reach to work with more kids in Western Sydney and the Northern Territory. Over the past year NASCA made many new friends in Wutunugurra (Epenarra), Canteen Creek, and Western Sydney. On my visits to Wutunugurra, Ntaria and Ali Curung, I witnessed the quality, design and tangible impact of our programs in action. The resilience and hard work of our young people across all our programs is a constant source of inspiration for me. I continue to be impressed by our hard-working employees, partners and committed supporters. It is my hope that with the support of our partners, donors and supporters we will see our impact strengthen. Together we can make great change possible. Over the past five years I have personally seen our kids thrive and succeed. Some have gone on to university, gained apprenticeships and full time work. The key is that they have determined their own pathways with NASCA’s support. Culture and Aboriginal identity, the rock on which we stand, continues to run through all we do. I’m excited about 2018, and the opportunity to continue to serve our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in achieving social equality. Leanne Townsend CEO, NASCA
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"You have made more children come to school. The kids spoke to their friends and got them to come.� — Nicholas,
Community Member, Ntaria
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about us
For over 20 years NASCA has worked with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people to create a strength-based, culturally strong environment that results in Indigenous Australians realising a level of health and prosperity on par with other Australians.
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We work in partnership with schools and communities in New South Wales and the Northern Territory to build strong relationships with young people and help guide them towards the future they see for themselves. We do this through direct in-school support as well as additional sporting and cultural programs that complement the school curriculum. Our programs are designed to strengthen school attendance, school engagement and develop life-skills.
our vision
Pride in our shared Aboriginal culture and identity is at the centre of our work with young people, and we use sport, art, music, poetry, storytelling and dance to strengthen our young people’s connection to culture.
Our Vision is for a proud, prosperous, healthy Australia; where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people thrive.
We work using the strength and diversity that is inherently part of Indigenous Australia across urban, rural and remote communities. We address the root causes of inequality. We use our Aboriginal knowledge and expertise to ensure young people stay strong in their culture and identity and are resilient in combating the structural and systemic bias and racism prevalent in Australia today. We believe the development and self-esteem of Indigenous young people is reliant on having the ability to be strong in one’s culture and access to the means to determine one’s own destiny. We are and always will be 100% Aboriginal governed.
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our approach NASCA is a unique organisation that has over 20 years of success in supporting Indigenous young people.
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We are 100% Aboriginal governed.
Our leadership, many of our staff, and Volunteers are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This ensures that we are community focused and have the shared cultural knowledge to provide the best support for our students. As an Aboriginal organisation we have the vision and expertise to lead the way to a successful future for our young people.
We build long-term committed partnerships with schools, communities and students. We know that when working with young people it is important to show up week in week out, to build trust and to keep to your word. That’s why we make commitments to work with students for the long-term. We have been working with some communities for over 15 years.
We work with both boys and girls. We recognise and value the inherent strengths and capabilities of all young people no matter their gender. Our programs are inclusive and support our students to achieve their goals. We also recognise that girls can have specific needs and we work in culturally appropriate ways to support them. We empower girls and women to harness their inherent strengths and capabilities.
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our programs We work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in urban, rural and remote parts of Australia. This year we have seen the continued growth of NASCA extending our support to work with 736 beneficiaries in 2017.
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Northern Territory T
he Northern Territory is home to many diverse Aboriginal communities. Young people in these communities can face a number of challenges which impact their ability to succeed at school.
These include: • Low school attendance—68.6% compared to the national average of 93.1% for non Indigenous kids; • Poor mental and physical health; • Low school completion with only 29.7% of young people completing Year 12, • Being over represented as both victims and offenders of crime, and over represented in the juvenile justice system and the child protection system.
We have developed strong relationships with communities and our commitment to long term collaboration means that together we are building a bright future for our young people.
In the very remote areas in which we work, Aboriginal young people have additional needs. This is due to a lack of services, lack of employment, boredom and anti-social use of time, low levels of literacy and numeracy and unstable home environments. 1
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Bruce Wilson, NT Government 2014, Review of Indigenous Education in the Northern Territory
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"NASCA makes me want to come to school; it’s fun and I like getting help with my work—writing, reading and spelling. All of those things." —Wendell, 13yrs, Laramba.
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NASCA has been working with communities in the Northern Territory for over 15 years to increase school engagement and support positive outcomes. As of this year we are now working in eight remote communities in the MacDonnell and Barkly regions. In 2017 we worked in Ali Curung, Canteen Creek, Wutunugurra (Epenarra), Haasts Bluff, Laramba, Ntaria, Papunya, and Yuelamu. We delivered over 1,650 hours of educational and health programs to 443 young people. Our impact continues to be strong with increases in school attendance as high as 22% in some communities. We have developed strong relationships with communities and our commitment to long-term collaboration means that together we are building a bright future for our young people. NASCA believes in the power of rolemodelling and each year we have over 50 skilled Volunteers join our team. In 2017 we worked with Volunteers from all walks of life—doctors, teachers, sports professionals, community workers and more. Our Volunteers helped run lessons with
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young people that ranged from science and health, through to softball and cooking. Promoting healthy active lifestyles is a key part of the work we do in community and our Volunteers help role-model positive and healthy choices. From in-class and community support to out of school sporting activities, NASCA continued our success this year in increasing school attendance and engagement, and developing essential life-skills.
s u o n e g i d n I g n u m a Yo r g o r P s y a w y h e t n a d y P S n r e t s e W in 12
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n 2017 NASCA has continued to develop and strengthen the Young Indigenous Pathways Program (YIPP) in partnership with Lendlease and the Greater Western Sydney Giants. This year we worked in four schools in Western Sydney—Richmond, Windsor, Glenmore Park and Kingswood High Schools. For 35 weeks we improved 117 student's (aged 14-17) academic performance, school attendance and engagement through in-class support and specially tailored workshops to support Indigenous students. We delivered 1,608 hours of workshops to our young people. Our program included amongst others, sessions on mental health, resilience, life-skills and work ready skills. We also delivered 935 hours of inclass support, and provided 40 hours of one-to-one assessment mentoring. This support enabled our students to perform to the best of their abilities across their school subjects. The Young Indigenous Pathways Program helped our students to become work ready, with, 59 of our
students gaining work accreditations in First Aid and in hospitality training. Alongside NASCA’s in-school programs we also delivered 38 hours of extra curricular activities to help build our young people's confidence and pride in their culture. The Young Indigenous Pathways Program is tailored to the needs of Western Sydney students. Our team provides consistent and meaningful support to young people. We build strong relationships with them and their families to ensure they have the support to be successful, and emotionally and physically healthy. Our combination of in-class support and workshops build on the inherent resilience our young people have, and also help them form deeper connections to their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. NASCA is committed to walking beside the students of Western Sydney to the success they see for themselves. We are looking forward to growing and developing this program in the coming years with our partners Lendlease and the Greater Western Sydney Giants.
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“If it weren’t for NASCA I probably wouldn’t be at school today.”
—Taela, 15 yrs, Tempe High School.
h t u So y e n d y S y m e d a Ac 14
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n 2017 we have cemented our ongoing work with three schools in South Sydney. We are working in Alexandria Park Community School and Tempe and Marrickville High Schools with 86 students from Year 7– 12. Our South Sydney Academy continues to successfully increase school engagement, performance and attendance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people. In 2017 we delivered 1,174 hours of academic in-class support to enable our young people to achieve their best in school. We delivered 115 hours of sport, physical and mental health activities to ensure our students understand the importance of making healthy life choices. Personal Development is key to giving our young people the skills they need to succeed in life, in 2017 we delivered 101 hours of Personal Development activities including cultural activities, team building and life-skills development. School attendance rates for students attending NASCA programs is at 81% which is a 8.7% increase on the average of non NASCA Indigenous students enrolled at participating high schools. We are delighted to report that one of our students, Aaliyah, was awarded the
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role of School Captain at Alexandria Park Community School due to her continued high performance and commitment to school values. Our students in South Sydney have varying degrees of connection with their culture. We know that pride in culture and connection with language and family keeps our students strong and resilient. Connection to culture is at the heart of all of our work. In term three NASCA partnered with Red Room Poetry to strengthen our students connection to Indigenous languages. Students not only learned some of their language but were able to discover the strong community and family connections that they have. In addition, students developed individual resilience, assisting students to overcome future challenges and personal obstacles . NASCA works to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in weekly in-class support as well as tailored lessons. Our long-term work with these students has built a solid foundation and our students are thriving. We look forward to working for the South Sydney community in 2018 and seeing our kids grow and develop into successful young adults.
n r e t s e W l a r t n e C y m e d a c A W S N
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n 2017 we have continued our work in Central Western NSW with 90 participants in four schools—Wellington High School, Dubbo College Delroy Campus, Narromine High School, and Peak Hill High School. We have delivered 882 hours of academic support as well as 111 hours of sport, physical and mental health activities. We have also provided 48 hours of activities focused on personal development including building skills such as teamwork and leadership. Many of our students in the Dubbo area have a strong connection to their culture and heritage and our NASCA team work hard to ensure that culture remains at the heart of our work. As well as in-class support this year we have focused on life-skills development. Building life-skills is a vital part of ensuring young students succeed in their school and social life. This year we worked on protective skills which will help out students deal with the stresses and challenges they face as well as helping to reduce risky behaviour such as skipping school. In a series of sessions we worked on building our young people’s confidence, self-esteem, leadership and maturity.
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Playing Traditional Indigenous Games (TIGs) combines both physical activity and connection to Indigenous culture. This year to coincide with NAIDOC celebrations we ran TIGs in partnership with Apollo House Community Centre. This gave our young people an opportunity to build relationships with students from other schools, increase their self-confidence and have a whole lot of fun while playing. Our Dubbo team are deeply ingrained in the local community and this helps us build strong and lasting relationships. Travis Hill, Program Coordinator, and proud Wiradjuri man has over eight years youth work experience. Travis says “NASCA provides every student the opportunity to access ongoing support in academic learning and personal development. By participating in NASCA’s program, it opens up endless opportunities and support whilst focusing on delivering culturally appropriate programs for our kids.”
our impact NASCA supports Indigenous young people to lead successful, resilient and culturally strong lives.
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Lisa and Tanya's Story Haasts Bluff, NT
Your first week at a new school can be daunting. Imagine just how hard this would be if you didn’t speak the same language as your new schoolmates. We met sisters Lisa (9yrs), and Tanya (10yrs) in their first week of school at Haasts Bluff in June 2017. The new girls struggled to communicate with students and teachers as they could not speak Luritja. This made the girls withdrawn, their shyness making it hard for them to engage in class. NASCA’s Team Leader James, honed in on what was comfortable for the girls by asking them to teach him some words in Pitjantjatjara and Arrernte. This interested the other students who all spoke Luritja. Lisa, Tanya and others then compared different words and enjoyed sharing them with other students and with NASCA. This simple exercise had a great flow-on effect. As the week continued the two girls’ identity was recognised as being unique and was valued by other students. NASCA also ran structured softball sessions which gave Lisa and Tanya the opportunity to have more ‘fun time’ with their peers. This helped the girls to settle into their new school—setting them up to improve their numeracy and literacy levels. The sisters gained confidence and made positive associations with school as a comfortable and fun place to be. Friendship and peer relationships are a major influencing factor for Aboriginal kids to attend school. Friends provide social and emotional support and help academically in class. Girls Club—a staple of NASCA’s NT program, is an opportunity for girls and young women to socialise in an informal and creative environment. Girls Club enabled Tanya and Lisa to connect with other girls and women from Haasts Bluff and to make new friends. Because of their age their teachers initially put the girls in the senior primary class to see how they would go. If the girls were not able to adapt, they would be moved down. Fortunately, their confidence and engagement increased—meaning they could stay in the senior, age-appropriate class. Towards the end of the week both girls’ self-confidence had grown. They contributed to school tasks, showed confidence to speak up in group work and had a new circle of friends. Students and community members regularly reflect on how NASCA makes the school “a fun place". Teachers also reflect that with NASCA’s support students not only attend school, but are more actively engaged in class.
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Mary's Story Peak Hill, Central West NSW In the past year NASCA began work at Peak Hill High School. Peak Hill is in Central Western NSW and has a population of approximately 800 people, 28% of which identify as Indigenous. NASCA also works in the strong Aboriginal communities of Dubbo and Wellington located nearby. Peak Hill Principal, Scott Olsson, contacted NASCA in February 2017 requesting our programs to be run at the school. The school has over 70% of students who identify as Aboriginal from K-12 and had limited programs to enhance the educational engagement and personal ambitions of its Aboriginal students.
Since NASCA arrived at our school and Mary’s been a part of the academy, we have seen an increase in Mary’s attendance, behaviour and attitude to her academics
Mary, aged 15, is in her first year at Peak Hill High School. She attends Peak Hill because she was suspended from her previous high school. Peak Hill’s Principal told NASCA that when she started she showed some “behavioural problems”. Her grade nine Year Advisor said that Mary had been “a floater throughout her schooling so far. Attending school barely and when attending she was very disruptive and rude.”
At Mary’s previous school she used to regularly leave school at lunchtime and travel to a nearby town. She was also very rarely at class on time, was unable to stay on track for a whole lesson and was described as uncooperative, disruptive and loud. It was clear Mary needed support to become a better listener and communicator. She also needed to improve sticking to deadlines and having more resilience in difficult circumstances. To help address Mary’s ‘behavioural issues’ two members of School staff requested that a female NASCA staff member talk to Mary about some complicated issues. One of these issues was a potentially undiagnosed mental illness. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people age 15 and over are nearly three times more likely to be psychologically distressed than other Australians and twice as likely to die by suicide. Aboriginal women and girls have also been found to experience daily stressors more regularly than their male counterparts.
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As a result of Mary’s personal issues, NASCA made a soft referral to local mental health services. This support coupled with NASCA’s intensive inclass support created a major shift in Mary’s behaviour and attitude to schooling. She showed a shift in being able to stick to tasks, communicate more clearly and listen to teachers. Mary’s Year Advisor was aware of the change in Mary’s life through her school engagement. She said “Since NASCA arrived at our school and Mary’s been a part of the academy, we have seen an increase in Mary’s attendance, behaviour and attitude to her academics”. Mary’s Mathematics teacher told us that - “Mary has started sitting in the front of the class and now contributes to class working-out. She just needs to continue the fantastic work she has been demonstrating.” Mary is now ranked second in her Mathematics class academically and in the half yearly exam scored a mark of 90%. Mary has also been awarded with a Mathematics award as well as the school P.E. Award. We are also happy to report she no longer leaves school early and that her attendance has also increased. NASCA's support has helped Mary to develop emotionally; she has a renewed ability to engage with school life. This has been evident through her new attitude and outlook. Her growing ability to deal with adversity means she will have a brighter future.
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“The workshops they run are beneficial for the students, and I have seen an increase in student's teamwork.” —Peter, Dubbo College AEO
“NASCA runs fun workshops that I normally wouldn’t get to do. I like the cultural activities the most because I don’t get to do much of that anywhere else.”
—Jack, 14yrs, Wellington High School.
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“The relationships NASCA staff form with students is very effective. This is mainly because of the in-class tutoring and program workshops they deliver.” —Amanda Dass, Parent, Tempe student
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Kieren's Story Marrickville, NSW
Kieren, is a 16 year old student at Marrickville High School who has been a keen participant with the NASCA South Sydney Academy for the past four years. Kieren has been diagnosed as having a cognitive learning difficulty that impedes his ability to perform academically as well as his peers. As a result, he is in the Support Unit, a class able to address his learning problems appropriately. One-on-one support from NASCA within the Support Unit has allowed Kieren to accelerate his learning. This form of teaching Kieren in a culturally appropriate manner has been identified as more suited to his learning style than mainstream methods. Kieren no longer lives with his parents and lives instead with his Uncle who is also the carer of four other young people including one of Kieren’s younger sisters. Nationwide 27% of all Aboriginal people live in overcrowded housing and for students attending high school this can adversely affect their results. We are aware that despite Kieren attending school over 92% of the time (this is 20% higher than the national Indigenous average), studying from home and preparing appropriately for school may be impeded by his housing situation. Whilst Kieren’s numeracy and literacy are clearly affected by his learning difficulty, his teachers have reported a significant increase in both abilities over the past six months. His Maths teacher told us - “[He has] improved his skills in Mathematics this semester… He can now identify percentages and fractions and recognise their relationship.” His English teacher said “With assistance Kieren can now read a range of simple texts and interpret their meaning. If Kieren continues on this trend he will develop more skills and knowledge.” NASCA is proud to include Kieren in all NASCA sessions at Marrickville High School and despite his differences in ability from other students he is well respected and treated equally as part of the core group. NASCA believes our sessions need to encourage high expectations as they will produce high outcomes and this relates to all NASCA students of all abilities. High profile Aboriginal
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“NASCA are there to support me and care for how I am going” —Logan, Marrickville, 15yrs.
people such as Stan Grant and Nova Peris have talked in detail about how low expectations were thrust upon them as school students because they were Aboriginal and the negative effect this had. Numerous studies have shown putting a ceiling on the academic expectations of Aboriginal young people will negatively impact their performance. Statistics show that being both Aboriginal and having a cognitive impairment means you are more likely to be incarcerated as either a young person or adult. Despite this statistic we believe with the appropriate support and continued encouragement of his peers; Kieren’s ongoing academic growth will mean he has a bright future beyond completing Year 12. NASCA has noticed the support given to Kieren in-class has also been taken up by some of his school peers which is extremely encouraging. Kieren’s Year Advisor told us that “It is wonderful to see Kieren make the most out of his learning experience. He has set a high standard for what is likely to be a year of further achievements”. Continuing our work with Kieren all the way through school is extremely important to ensure he can take advantage of the opportunities after Year 12 that many young Australians take for granted. Most importantly we want to ensure Kieren has the tools so that he controls his own destiny.
(http://www.aph.gov.au/Parlia- mentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Com-munity_Afairs) & (https://www.humanrights.gov.au/news/speeches/mental-illness-and-cog-nitive-disability-aboriginaland-torres-strait-is-lander).
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OUR IMPAC 12 90
students at Garma
45 3
students at NASCA Olympics students attended Resilience camp
school captains
7%
uplift in school attendance during NASCA NT programs
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Year 12 students graduated from South Sydney Academy
OUR SUPPORTERS
NEW
Regular Giving program launched
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OU
pro g
ACHIEVEMENTS
ra
CT IN 2017 59
UR SOCIAL IMPACT
s am
delivered
clas in
207
work ready accreditations
s supp
ort
567
hours
5693 hours
hours
NT l after schoo eng age ment
49 Volunteers helped deliver our programs
3488 hours
he
na alth o s & er developpment
OVER $66K
3,390
HOURS
donated by
in time donated by volunteers
1,025
supporters
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l
736
total students worked with
our highlights In 2017 we expanded our programs, developed exciting new activities and supported our young people to strengthen their cultural identity.
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NASCA Olympics The first annual NASCA Olympics was held in September at Western Sydney University and was a roaring success. Students from seven schools in Sydney came together to learn and play Traditional Indigenous Games (TIGs). TIGs have been played for thousands of years by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. They are often non-competitive and focus on building skills such as speed, agility and accuracy. At NASCA we play TIG’s with modern equipment and use them to help build our young people’s connection with their culture. It is also a great way to be active and have fun with new friends. In this year’s TIG Olympics we played games such as Munhanganing, Takyerrin and Buroinjin. These games were a way for our students from across our Young Indigenous Pathways Program based in Western Sydney Schools and our South Sydney Academy, to get to know each other. This years winners were the Snakes and the NASCA shield will be engraved with their names. Prizes were also given to students who showed excellence in participation and fair play. Many new friendships were made and we look forward to building NASCA Olympics even bigger and better in 2018.
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NASCA students go to Garma Festival In August 2017, NASCA staff accompanied twelve students from our Young Indigenous Pathways Program and our South Sydney Academy to the world renowned Garma Festival. Our students were chosen because they had excelled over the last year in their behaviour, school attendance and have shown us their potential to become leaders in their communities.
“ Garma helped me connect more with my culture, the dancing and music was really great to watch. I joined in a bit at the end.” — Carley
Garma Festival is one of the premier Indigenous festivals in the world and is held every year in East Arnhem NT. Garma provides a space for the preservation, maintenance and presentation of traditional knowledge systems, cultural traditions and practices, especially bunggul (traditional dance), Manikay (song), Miny’ tji (art and ceremony). The trip started with anticipation, several of the young people had not been out of NSW let alone on a plane. The next three days were spent in a whirlwind of activity as our students participated in the Youth Forum. For our young people, experiencing Aboriginal culture and identity is vitally important. Our Garma participants come from a range of backgrounds and have families from Moree to Penrith and from Kempsey to Dubbo. Some of our young people have deep connections to their culture and others are on the start of their journey.
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Aboriginal culture is rich and varied across Australia and Garma was an opportunity for our young people to participate in local Yolngu culture. NASCA students participated in a smoking ceremony which was a truly special experience for them. They also got to spend time with local Elders, the girls sat beading shells with the Aunties and the fellas learnt how to make spears. Garma was filled full of activities. In the Youth Forum there were sessions that varied from music-making and production, through to storytelling and discussions on mental health and anti-bullying. Two of our students were selected to speak on a panel to discuss their thoughts on Garma, the Youth Forum and the issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people today.
“I loved making friends with the local young’uns and we nearly cried when we left.”
However the largest learnings came from the friendships that were made. Our students made connections with friends from around Australia. Many of our kids played with young local children, learning their language and running around in fits of giggles. These are experiences that many of them will treasure for years to come.
—Shonnalea
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Expanding our NT program In 2017 NASCA expanded our program into two new communities in the Northern Territory, Wutunugurra (Epenarra) and Canteen Creek. Both communities are located just over 200km east of Tennant Creek and a 500km drive North-East of Alice Springs in the beautiful Barkly Region. As part of NASCA’s program, students will gain new skills with workshops focused on life-skills and activities designed to increase school engagement and attendance. This year as well as in-class support, NASCA ran workshops to develop a range of technical and life-skills. In Canteen Creek these included Science lessons where we supported the school’s existing curriculum on ‘Living Things’ by running sessions on using a microscope. Students took the initiative and led NASCA staff on a
NASCA made more kids come to school. After Monday they told their friends and they came along to school too.
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bush trip to bring back bush tucker to examine under the microscopes. These sessions not only built technical skills but developed confidence and leadership skills which will help our young people flourish in their school lives.
“NASCA enhances school programs in general, giving much needed one on one attention to individual students, and supportive help within the classroom.”
In Wutunugurra (Epenarra) highlights of the year included working with NASCA Volunteer Ariel Martin to develop a short film with the students. As an experienced filmmaker, Ariel was able to guide students through the process of — Estelle, Papunya storyboarding, acting and filming a story about working together to achieve success. (You can see their short film on the NASCA website.)
Marcia, one of the parents and school Volunteers in Wutunugurra (Epenarra) told us that new faces and new activities made a big difference for the kids and the school during the NASCA program. “NASCA made more kids come to school. After Monday they told their friends and they came along to school too. Community is happy and they understand why NASCA is here”. We look forward to continuing our partnerships in Wutunugurra (Epenarra) and Canteen Creek in the coming years.
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our board NASCA is proud that we are 100% Aboriginal governed. Our Directors bring a wealth of experience and skills to NASCA, and they are passionate advocates for our work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people. 34
Mick is a Gangalu man from Central Queensland who has over 25 years experience as an advocate in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs. This has covered extensive work across urban, rural and remote Australia as well as advocacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander human rights overseas. u Formerly Mick was
the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner,
u Currently he
heads the Royal Commission into the detention of Children in the Northern Territory,
u
He is passionate about rights and cultural empowerment of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
MICK GOODA Retired Nov 2017
Jason is a Yuin man from the South Coast of New South Wales, with 20 years of experience working with Aboriginal communities in the design and delivery of Aboriginal affairs policy and programs, particularly in New South Wales. u He was
the former Executive Director of Culture and Heritage in the Department of Environment and Climate Change (now the Office of Environment and Heritage), focusing on strengthening Aboriginal community connections to country and culture,
JASON ARDLER
●u He is the current Head of Aboriginal Affairs, NSW leading policy and program development across economic participation, community governance, environmental health, improved service delivery and culture and language.
David is a Ngarabal man from Northern New South Wales. He founded NASCA in 1995 after 15 years as a professional Rugby League player in Australia and England. ●u ● He is currently the CEO of Corporate Connect AB and has many years of experience facilitating programs that encourage post-school employment and viable Aboriginal businesses. ●u ● David has won the Gold Harold Award for services to Aboriginal Health and Education (2010), The NSW Outstanding Community Service Award (2013) and an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) ‘For Service to Indigenous Youth, Sporting and Employment’.
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DAVID LIDDIARD Founder
CHLOE WIGHTON
Chloe is a Wiradjuri woman from Gilgandra, New South Wales and she is proudly a former participant and Graduate of NASCA’s Academy Program in the Dubbo Region. Chloe has been recognised for her strong advocacy in the community with a nomination for Young Australian of the Year in 2014 and recipient of the 2015 University of Sydney's Alumni Award for the Sister Alison Bush Medal. u She
has a Bachelor degree in Archaeology;
●u She is currently studying for a Masters in Museum and Heritage Studies
Aaron is an Anawan and Biripi man from Western Sydney and he has seven years experience working in health promotion and youth work in the Western Sydney Aboriginal community. u He
is the current Aboriginal Youth Education Officer for South West Sydney Local Health District,
● u He sees Western Sydney’s Aboriginal community as having enormous potential through the growing pool of young people and the knowledge of Elders, ● u He is passionate about the passing on of culture and history and a holistic promotion of mental, physical and spiritual health to Aboriginal communities.
AARON SIMON
Mark is a Wiradjuri man from Sydney who is the Director of Innovation and Learning at Marist College North Shore and has volunteered for NASCA over many years prior to taking on his NASCA Directorship. ●u ●He is passionate about physical activity and education while integrating Indigenous studies into the school day, and creating quality professional learning for teachers,
MARK HEISS MARK HEISS
●u He was the first Aboriginal person to be named team captain for the University of Sydney at the Australian University Games, ●u Mark recently completed a Masters in Educational Leadership.
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Lachlan McDaniel belongs to the Kilari Clan of the Wiradjuri Nation. He has been engaged by a range of sectors to assist organisations to improve their engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. His experience extends to political campaigning and improving organisations Indigenous Engagement in the not-for-profit and corporate business sector. u He
completed a Bachelor of Arts/Laws at Macquarie University. Pursuing his passion for empowering Indigenous people through self-determination, Lachlan also studied Canadian First Nations history, law and politics at the University of Calgary.
u
He completed a Continuing Education Certificate in Indigenous Governance at the Native Nations Institute of the University of Arizona.
LACHLAN MCDANIEL Joined Aug 2017
Barbie-Lee Kirby is a Ngemba, Baakindji and Yuwaalaraay woman from Brewarrina, NSW. She is a strong ambassador for education and successful Indigenous women in business. She has a Bachelor of Business with majors in Accounting and Law and is a current Finance Graduate at Qantas Airways. u Barbie
was a NASCA participant whilst playing representative netball where she was selected into the NSW emerging athletes program.
BARBIE-LEE KIRBY Joined Nov 2017
●u She was the first woman to be awarded CareerTrackers student of the year in 2016 and was co-founder and president of the first UTS Indigenous club which creates an Indigenous presence on the UTS campus and an awareness and celebration of Indigenous culture.
Kristal is a proud Aboriginal woman, a descendant of both the Jawoyn and Wiradjuri nations and is currently Director of Indigenous Professional Services. She is passionate about creating lasting pathways and growing the capabilities of Indigenous businesses and individuals. ●u ●Kristal was awarded NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year in 2017 and 2017 Supplier Diversity Advocate of the Year, recognised for her outstanding contribution in working with Indigenous communities, Indigenous businesses, leaders and women across Australia. ●u ●She also volunteers her time as an Inspiring Rare Birds Mentor and the Sydney Ambassador for Indigenous Women in Business network.
KRISTAL KINSELA Joined Aug 2017
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our volunteers Our Volunteers come from across Australia. They share their skills and knowledge with young people and help grow our impact. 38
Angela Coe Angela Coe (32) is a proud Wiradjuri woman, Redfern community member and mother of four. She joined the NASCA Ali Curung team as a Volunteer in March. As a registered Midwife she was used to working consultatively and was immediately welcomed by students and community members when she arrived in community. Angela’s connection to her culture is incredibly important she said of the experience. “Any opportunity to go into community and spend time with people is a wonderful experience. You feel blessed when you are welcomed into someone else’s country."
Kodi Brady Kodi Brady (36), is a proud Gomeroi man from Coonabarabran in Western NSW. He has volunteered on NASCA’s NT program three times, working twice in Papunya and once in Haasts Bluff. Kodi brought a wealth of experience to NASCA, as an experienced Youth Worker he was able to connect with the young fellas in community and was a hugely positive role model who promoted healthy lifestyles and good communication. Kodi says he felt welcomed straight away in the communities he visited because of NASCA’s existing reputation.
Marianne Schafer-Gardiner Marianne (24) lives in Sydney and came to intern with NASCA as part of the Aurora program. She spent six weeks working in Redfern supporting our Communications team. Marianne was key in organising NASCA’s NAIDOC stalls and other events and chose to work with NASCA because she believed in NASCA’s ability to have real impact. She said “The fact that NASCA is 100% Aboriginal governed told me from the outset that the work NASCA is doing would be both important and effective. Even more significantly, NASCA has no singular model for ‘this is how you help improve outcomes for Indigenous kids’ but instead acknowledges that every community is different and responds to those different needs accordingly.”
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finance The following report is an except from NASCA’s general purpose report for the financial year ending 30 June 2017.
DIRECTORS DECLARATION The directors have determined that NASCA is not a reporting entity and that this general purpose financial report should be prepared in accordance with the accounting policies outlined in Note 1 to the financial statements. In the opinion of the Board of directors: • ● t here is reasonable ground to believe that NASCA will be able to pay its debts when they become due and payable. • ● t he financial statements and notes are in accordance with the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) ACT 2006, including: – compliance with Australian Accounting Standard; – ● p roviding a true and fair view of the financial position of NASCA as at 30 June 2017 and its performance for the year ended that date.
Signed in accordance with a resolution of the Board of Directors
Dated: 12/11/2017
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Graeme Kay CA
Registered Company Auditor NATIONAL ABORIGINAL SPORTING CHANCE ACADEMY ABN 66 442 463 291 NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2017
Report on the Audit of the Financial Report Opinion I have audited the accompanying financial report, being a general purpose financial report, of National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy (the Academy) which comprises the statement of financial position, the statement of profit and loss, statement of changes in equity and statement of cash flow for the year ended 30 June 2017, notes comprising a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information and the directors’ declaration. In my opinion, the accompanying financial report presents fairly, in all material aspects, the financial position of the Academy as at 30 June 2017 and its financial performance for the year then ended in accordance with the accounting policies described in Note 1 to the financial statements and the requirements of the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006. Basis of the Opinion I conducted the audit in accordance with Australian Auditing Standards. My responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Report section of my report. I am independent of the Academy in accordance with the ethical requirements of the Accounting Professional and Ethical Standards Board’s APES 110: Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (The Code) that are relevant to my audit of the financial report in Australia. I have also fulfilled my other ethical responsibilities with the code. I believe that the audit evidence I have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for my opinion. Emphasis of Matter—Basis of Accounting I draw attention to Note 1 to the financial report, which describes the basis of accounting. The financial report has been prepared to assist the Academy to meet the requirements of the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006. As a result, the financial report may not be suitable for another purpose. My opinion is not modified in respect of this matter. Responsibilities of the Committee for the Financial Report The committee is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the financial report in accordance with the financial reporting requirements of the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 and for such internal control as the committee determines is necessary to enable the preparation and fair presentation of a financial report that is free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the financial report, the committee is responsible for assessing the Academy’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters relating to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the committee either intends to liquidate the Academy or cease operations, or has no realistic alternative but to do so.
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Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Report My objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial report as a whole is free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes my opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with the Australian Auditing Standards will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they should reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of this financial report. As part of an audit in accordance with Australian Auditing Standards, I exercise professional judgement and maintain professional scepticism throughout the audit. I also: ● • Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial report, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for my opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions misrepresentations, or the override of internal control. ● • Obtain an understanding of internal relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion of the effectiveness of the Academy’s internal control. •● Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by the committee. ● • Conclude on the appropriateness of the committee’s use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists relate to events or conditions that may cause significant doubt on the association’s ability to continue as a going concern. If I conclude that a material uncertainty exists, I are required to draw attention in my auditor’s report to the related disclosures in the financial report or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify my opinion. My conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of my auditor’s report. However, future events or conditions may cause the Academy to cease to continue as a going concern. • Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the financial report, including the disclosures, and whether the financial report represents the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation. I communicate with the committee regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that I identify during my audit.
Signed: Auditor’s name: Graeme Kay CA Registered Company Auditor Address:
77/192 Vimiera Road Marsfield NSW 2122
Dated this day of 24th November 2017
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NATIONAL ABORIGINAL SPORTING CHANCE ACADEMY ABN 66 442 463 291 DETAILED PROFIT OR LOSS STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2017
2017
2016
Fee for service
464,021
369,451
Government funding
894,690
1,001,979
Fundraising and donations
91,601
75,095
Interest received
16,093
20,237
—
19,558
1,466,405
1,486,320
Programs
330,612
346,302
Employees
942,609
960,026
Office and premises
42,114
51,621
Administration
18,927
5,599
IT & telecommunications
26,659
33,329
98
18,491
41,404
27,126
1,087
859
Finance and compliance
23,212
24,634
Communication and fundraising
17,703
11,205
1,444,424
1,479,192
21,981
7,128
Retained earnings at the beginning of the period
630,308
623,180
Retained earnings at the end of the period
652,289
630,308
INCOME
Other revenue Total Income
EXPENDITURE
Board Motor vehicles Travel
Total expenditure
Net operating profit
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our acknowledgements and thanks NASCA works with many partners to create impact, we know that only by acting together can we can achieve our vision of a proud, prosperous, healthy Australia; where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people thrive. We are passionate believers in the inherent strength and experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. We know that empowering Indigenous communities and organisations will lead to the best outcomes for our young people. We would like to extend our warmest thanks to the communities that we work with across New South Wales and the Northern Territory. We know that together we can support our young people to achieve great things. We also would like to acknowledge the broad range of partner organisations we work to enhance our educational and sporting programs. We would like to acknowledge the ongoing support of both Prime Minister and Cabinet and NSW Family and Community Services (Youth Opportunities). NASCA works with a wide range of corporate partners to achieve positive outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people. We would like to give special acknowledgement to Lendlease and Greater Western Sydney Giants who partner with us to support our Young Indigenous Pathways Program. Our Inner Circle partners are a group of organisations who work in partnership with NASCA to support our work. We would like to give thanks to DLA Piper, Sydney Swans AFL, and UTS Jumbunna. We know that it is going to take all of us working together to support our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people to achieve their dreams. NASCA would like to give special thanks to our supporters who volunteered their time, raised funds, donated to us and were our biggest advocates. Each and everyone of you has made a positive impact to the lives of our young people.
With special thanks to our 2017 supporters: 44
Amanda Dass Ashursts Lawyers Aurora Project Deanella Mack Goanna Hut Key Money Concepts Lorna Munro National Centre of Indigenous Excellence Netball NSW PWC Sydney Story Factory Red Room Poetry Talking About Tobacco Use (TATU) Weave Western Sydney University