EducatingIndigenouschildren, empoweringourfutureleaders
Generational changeinaction
Yalari’s vision is to be one of Australia’s great enduring educational and leadership foundations, empowering Indigenous people from regional and remote Australia.
Yalari positively affects the lives of Indigenous children from regional and remote communities, by providing scholarships to Australia’s leading boarding schools.
After 21 years of operation, our alumni represent one of the largest networks of educated and connected Indigenous leaders in this country. Through their transformational experience with Yalari, they are creating change within their own Indigenous communities and in broader Australia.
There are many reasons why the Yalari model works – from being Indigenous led; trusted by Indigenous communities; our comprehensive wrap around support; the genuine love and care provided to students; the focus on equipping leadership skills in our alumni; strong in governance yet grassroots in our approach; values driven; a clear direction and strategy for the future; wisely stewarding every dollar donated; and a partnership model where all Australian’s can play a part.
However, the reason why Yalari is making a profound impact on Australia is because of our students and alumni. With courage, determination, learning and resilience they have emerged as leaders in this country, changing stereotypes, changing outcomes and creating positive change for the nation.
And, we are just getting started.
Over the next decade we will support thousands of Indigenous children and young people from regional and remote areas in gaining education and equip the next generation with leadership skills, empowering them to create impact and change.
We invite you to join with us to change not just individual lives, but families and the wider Australian community for generations to come.
Amessagefrom Yalari,sfounder
When we founded Yalari in 2005, we were set on a simple yet powerful purpose of uplifting the lives of Indigenous children by offering them a quality secondary education at a leading boarding school.
Our focus was clear; educational equity for Indigenous children from regional and remote Australia. We provided a support system that was culturally connected, nurtured their well-being and empowered them during and beyond their schooling years.
I know the power of education and how it can change lives, as I experienced this myself when my Year 7 teacher in Murgon, Mrs Rosemary Bishop, paved the way for me to attend boarding school at Toowoomba Grammar School. In turn, I wanted to ‘pay it forward’ and create opportunities for other Indigenous children.
When people ask if I ever imagined Yalari would become what it is today, I reflect on our humble beginnings. Three children were awarded Yalari scholarships in 2005, and now over 270 children have that same opportunity each year. Their horizons open them up to people, places, opportunities and experiences that will fundamentally change what their future holds.
We have over 600 alumni who form a unique network of Indigenous leaders - educated at some of Australia’s leading schools and universities, confident, ambitious, united and positively looking forward. Their contributions to society extend from their communities and families, through to the work and professional lives they have chosen for themselves.
As you consider your decision to support us in creating educational and leadership opportunities for Indigenous children and young adults, please know that every step and action we make, brings us all closer to a future where Indigenous people can lead lives of their own determination.
Together, we can walk this path of change. Thank you for joining us on this journey.
WAVERLEY STANLEY AM Founding Director
“My own experience at boarding school has been the catalyst for the success, passion and direction in my life. All Yalari’s efforts are aimed at offering a similar change for Indigenous children – and we believe they can achieve anything if given a go at a great education.”
Waverley Stanley AM
Supporting childrenfrom regional andremote communities
Indigenous children living in regional and remote communities do not receive the same educational opportunities as all Australians.
Some communities do not have a high school, and those which do, often lack the resources needed to provide a quality education specifically for Indigenous children. Yalari is one way families can choose to educate their children through a boarding school scholarship.
Yalari’s methodology and programs are designed, led and delivered by Indigenous leaders and educational specialists. Yalari’s personalised approach and two decades of experience and learning, places us in a humbling and privileged position of impacting the lives of generations of Indigenous people.
A Yalari scholarship is a choice for families who seek access to quality education for their children.
Indigenous leadership at all levels of governance and operations including Founding Director Waverley Stanley AM, Yalari Board Directors, staff and Alumni Advisory Board.
ROSEMARY BISHOP INDIGENOUS EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP
The Rosemary Bishop Indigenous Education Scholarship covers full boarding and tuition costs to attend some of Australia’s leading boarding schools from Year 7 through to Year 12. Yalari provides an extensive wrap around support program to keep students culturally connected and thriving.
Secondary school scholarships for tuition and boarding in partnership with 23 schools.
National program with schools based Australia wide.
Over 65 students per year awarded a scholarship.
YALARI READY
The Yalari Ready Program addresses the literacy and numeracy gap faced by many Indigenous children growing up in very remote communities. They have the resilience, leadership and attitude needed to succeed, but their academic achievements mean they are not yet at a level to be able to attend one of our partner schools.
The Yalari Ready program is delivered by one of our partner schools, to students who have completed Year 6, but require a full year of numeracy and literacy support, so they are academically ready for secondary school.
Yalari Ready is a one year program addressing the numeracy and literacy gap faced by some students.
SCHOLARSHIP SELECTION
The selection process for our scholarships is rigorous and we know this is an important contributor to our retention rate of 94%. Students are selected to receive a scholarship based on their regional and remote location, need, connection to culture, commitment to school, family support and their ability to transition successfully into boarding school.
Potential Yalari scholars and their families complete application forms, submit school reports and references. A unique part of our process is interviewing each applicant in their home community.
Over the years, we have sat at hundreds of kitchen tables, in lounge rooms and on back verandahs, talking to mothers, fathers, aunties, uncles, grandparents and bright-eyed eleven and twelve year old children to make sure the whole family knows what a Yalari scholarship means and what it will take to see it through. Equally, it is an opportunity for families to create strong relationships with Yalari, as we partner together in their child’s educational development and well-being.
Yalari holds strong and respectful relationships with Indigenous communities, Elders and leaders, built on decades of trust.
Yalari staff meet with potential scholars and families at home and in their communities as part of the interview process.
Students and alumni represent over 180 regional and remote communities across Australia.
Over the past two years, Yalari Ready saw 100% of students successfully transfer into a secondary school scholarship at one of our partner schools. 100%
Over 270 students in Yalari Ready and Year 7-12.
Over 600 alumni.
Partnerschools
ENRICHING LIVES AND SCHOOL COMMUNITIES
Yalari partners with 23 of Australia’s leading boarding schools who offer our students not just an outstanding education, but a world of extracurricular opportunities and life changing experiences.
Each school has been carefully chosen to ensure they align with Yalari’s vision, values and philosophy and with the knowledge that they will provide a caring, supportive and culturally safe environment for our students.
Additional support comes from the wider school community and Yalari’s Student Support Officers who are located across the nation and work with students, families and schools to make sure our scholars are enjoying and thriving in their boarding school experience.
• Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie), Brisbane
• Clayfield College, Brisbane
• John Paul College, Brisbane
• Scots PGC College, Warwick
• Somerville House, Brisbane
• St Augustine’s College, Cairns
• St Hilda’s School, Gold Coast
• St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School, Brisbane
• The Glennie School, Toowoomba
• The Southport School, Gold Coast
• Toowoomba Grammar School, Toowoomba
• Townsville Grammar School, Townsville
• Scotch College, Adelaide
• Great Southern Grammar, Albany
• Methodist Ladies’ College, Perth
• St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls, Perth
• Geelong Grammar School
• Abbotsleigh, Sydney
• Kambala, Sydney
• Kinross Wolaroi School, Orange
• NEGS, Armidale
• St Ignatius’ College Riverview, Sydney
• Sydney Church of England Grammar School (Shore)
Partnering exclusively with boarding schools addresses potential challenges with housing and school attendance.
Yalari places several students per grade at each partner school, ensuring peer support is always available.
Independent boarding schools provide opportunities, connections and networks and open up a new world of possibilities to students.
“Our ability to support and nurture our Indigenous students is grounded by our relationship with Yalari and our capacity to have a shared vision for what we can all achieve together.”
Trent Driver Principal, Scotch College Adelaide
Wraparoundsupport
FOR YALARI SCHOLARS
For 21 years, Yalari has developed and refined a holistic and targeted support program for our children and families.
What makes Yalari different – and uniquely successful – is our understanding that the Yalari educational experience is not just about going to a great school. It’s about mentoring and supporting our students through the fun and achievements, homesickness, loneliness, tough subjects and sometimes the day to day practicalities like getting to Saturday sport.
The emotional impact of leaving community to attend boarding school, often thousands of kilometres away, must not be underestimated. It’s not always smooth sailing but we work hard in partnership with our school and families, to set students up for success.
Yalari Student Support Officers are based around Australia providing pastoral support directly to the students.
Academic tutoring and wellbeing support is provided by Yalari in addition to what each partner school provides.
Yalari’s camps, activities and programs ensure students feel confident and connected to culture, each other and Yalari.
95% of our students feel inspired to be a role model and leader for their family and community.*
81% of our students feel more connected to their culture due to the support of the Yalari program.
*
Due to Yalari’s unique support model, we have a 94% retention rate each year.
**
70% of our students who start Year 7, complete Year 12, which is above the national average of 58.6% for all other Indigenous students regardless of where they live.ˆ
Educatedandconnected
INDIGENOUS LEADERS
Numbering over 600 and growing, our alumni are a unique cohort of Indigenous leaders, hailing from regional and remote areas. They are united as a Yalari mob – passionate about ‘paying it forward’ and being a positive voice for the next generation of Indigenous children who will follow in their footsteps.
Yalari is committed to supporting our alumni for life and this support ensures our graduates make the most of their education. We also create a powerful platform for them to contribute as leaders collectively.
Our Pathways Program is ambitious and long-term in its vision, operating under four pillars:
• Post school
• Personal growth
• Leadership and professional development
• Connection
These programs empower our alumni to be a powerful voice of connected, highly educated Indigenous leaders, contributing and driving change in Australia.
99% of Yalari scholars transition to university, further education and/or employment.*
71% of alumni who have graduated in the past 5 years have transitioned to higher education.
*
Yalari Student Support Team
Student Support Officers
Academic Tutors
Wellbeing Professionals
* Students surveyed as part of Yalari’s Social Impact Study 2024.
** 2020-2025 rolled average.
ˆABS Schools Report 2025.
Yalari provides scholarships to assist with living expenses for university students.
Yalari supports alumni for life through wellbeing, personal development and leadership programs.
Many alumni return home to their communities with a passion to give back and inspire others to follow in their footsteps.
Over 600 alumni and those participating on the Advisory Council and Board help shape the future direction of Yalari through their lived experience.
*Alumni surveyed as part of Yalari’s Social Impact Study 2024
Alumnicreatingchange
MARNIE JONES
Home: Lightning Ridge, New South Wales
School: Calrossy Anglican School, Tamworth Class of: 2016
Now: Paediatric Occupational Therapist at the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health
“Yalari has shaped my life in every way imaginable — I owe so much to them. The scholarship not only supported my educational growth but also my personal development. Without Yalari, I’m not sure would have had the courage to ever leave home or pursue university, which has been life-changing for me. Going to boarding school also gave me the opportunity to set an example for my younger siblings, showing them that taking on new challenges can lead to amazing opportunities.”
RORY VOCALE
Home: Kyabram, Victoria School: Geelong Grammar School Class of: 2011
Now: Surgical Resident at The Royal Melbourne Hospital
“Yalari provided me with an opportunity to receive an exceptional education at one of Australia’s leading boarding schools. This schooling experience allowed me to maximise my academic potential and instilled in me a profound sense of confidence and self-belief as a young Aboriginal man finding his path. That belief empowered me to pursue my lifelong dream of becoming a doctor—an achievement made possible through Yalari’s support.”
JABREENI FOGARTY
Home: Cunnamulla, Queensland School: The Southport School, Gold Coast Class of: 2015
Now: Health Promotions Officer at Deadly Choices
“Yalari has been integral in shifting narratives about our mob and the achievements we can make. Rarely do you find an organisation that genuinely wants to support you and see you thrive, but Yalari does exactly that.”
SADIAR FOSTER
Home: Horn Island, Torres Strait School: St Patrick’s College, Townsville Class of: 2010
Now: Clinical Naturopath and Founder of Inner Bloom Naturopathics
“The Yalari scholarship didn’t just open doors, it helped build a bridge to achieving my dreams. It provided me with the opportunity to learn, grow, and step into a world of possibilities that would have otherwise been out of reach.”
JULIA MALAMOO
Home: Alstonville, New South Wales
School: St Hilda’s, Gold Coast Class of: 2014
Now: First Secretary at the Australian Embassy in Thailand
“Yalari provided me with an education that would consider second to none. Just as importantly, Yalari enabled my pursuit of self-discovery, independence and confidence from a young age. Mustering the courage to attend boarding school was the first of many steps in the journey that has delivered me to where I am today.
My Yalari experience was culturally empowering and gave me the confidence to pursue more and more opportunities during and after high school. To this day, I attribute my professional success to the fundamental self-confidence that was nurtured and blossomed during my Yalari journey.”
JODENE GARSTONE
Home: Halls Creek, Western Australia School: Geelong Grammar School Class of: 2016 Now: Law Graduate at the Kimberley Land Council
“Yalari gave me the ability to want more for my life. There is a saying, ‘you never know if you don’t ask’. This makes sense, but when you come from a small community and your world is even smaller, you don’t know what you’re allowed to ask. Yalari not only opened the door to many unimaginable opportunities, but it empowered me to ask for and create those opportunities for myself. This is something that I believe every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child should have the privilege of experiencing.”
JACOB NICHALOFF
Home: Darwin, Northern Territory School: Scotch College, Adelaide Class of: 2015
Now: Award winning rapper and songwriter known as J-MILLA
“Yalari gave me more than just an education, it gave me opportunities, lifelong friendships, and a deep cultural connection, when I was far from home. It opened doors I never imagined and shaped the person I am today.”
CARLA FISHER
Home: Cherbourg, Queensland
School: The Glennie School, Toowoomba Class of: 2011
Now: Councillor, Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council
“Yalari has been a beacon of hope in my life, providing me with a quality education and introducing me to a world beyond my own. Through boarding school, I discovered a sense of independence and self-reliance that has shaped me into the person I am today. The wisdom of ‘it takes a whole community to educate a child’ resonates deeply with me, and I’m committed to paying it forward by advocating for the educational rights of our children.
Seeing Uncle Waverley Stanley’s remarkable achievements has inspired me to make a difference, not just for myself, but for my community and people. Education for our children is one of my passions and believe it’s the key to unlocking a brighter future for our people. Yalari has also given my son the same opportunity that I had. This is something that I am forever grateful for. Yalari doesn’t just give you a quality education it is life changing.”
BECOME PART OF YALARI’S STORY
We are seeking supporters that share our vision to deliver authentic, practical, outcomes-driven solutions that will allow Indigenous young people to write their own future in a nation where we all stand together as equals.
For more information, please contact the philanthropy team at info@yalari.org
“RACV has been involved with Yalari for a number of years now through the provision of driving lessons for Yalari students and the use of RACV Resorts for Yalari events. This has exposed hundreds of RACV staff to the terrific Yalari staff, students and alumni. The value of a good education, and a good start in life cannot be underestimated.
Having RACV staff involved in a small part of this process is not only good for morale, but also helps staff think more deeply about the challenges some in society face. We look forward to doing more with Yalari in the future and expanding our work with them.”
Neil Taylor Managing Director and CEO, RACV
