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Young Leaders
given the gift of Voice...
OVER 6,500 UPPER SECONDARY STUDENTS (YEARS 10-12) AND OVER 15,000 UPPER PRIMARY STUDENTS (YEARS 5-7) AND THEIR TEACHERS/PRINCIPALS ATTENDED THE ANNUAL NATIONAL YOUNG LEADERS’ DAY ACROSS NOVEMBER 2012 AND MARCH 2013 – A HALOGEN FOUNDATION EVENT WITH THE PURPOSE OF INSPIRING AND INFLUENCING A GENERATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE TO LEAD THEMSELVES AND OTHERS WELL…
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he National Young Leaders’ Day is one of Australia’s most significant events for young people and is the main activity for the Halogen Foundation whose mission is to inspire and influence a generation of young people to lead themselves and others well. The event series is held across Australia every year for Primary and Secondary students with over 300,000 people having attended these events since the inaugural National Young Leaders’ Day was held in NSW during 1997. The audience is a closely proportionate mix of Government, Catholic and Independent schools from metro and regional areas. Schools select the attending students as individuals who have been seen to possess leadership potential or have aptitude to be leaders amongst their school or wider community. These annual events are held nationally, taking place in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. The West Australian Secondary Students’ event was held on 14 March at the Perth Convention Centre followed by the Primary Students’ event the following day. The Primary event saw a total of 1736 students and teachers participate, with the Secondary event having 586 students and teachers take part in a day that was both inspiring and memorable.
THE PROGRAM Students who attend The National Young Leaders’ Day are challenged to develop their leadership potential with a key characteristic in mind: that their motivation for leading is driven by the needs of others, not just their own. Through a program of keynote speakers and leadership insights, students are encouraged to undertake some meaningful self-reflection. By listening to the personal stories of recognised leaders in a variety of fields, they are able to receive different perspectives on what it means to ‘lead well’ and are
encouraged to think about this concept within the framework of their own lives. “The National Young Leaders’ Day truly gives young people the chance to see what is possible,” says Principal of Morley Senior High School, Gay Fortune who brought 50 students to the Secondary event in 2013. The atmosphere created by the program provides an open environment for students to freely ask questions directly of the presenting speakers. The program also features multi-media presentations and fun interactive activities that encourage student discussion and engagement.
AIMS •
Inspire students to make a positive contribution to their school;
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Motivate students to be great leaders in their area of influence;
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Empower students to seek out opportunities to develop their skills and potential according to their personal strengths and passions;
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Promote the value of inspirational and positive role models as examples
to others, by exposing students to a diverse range of leaders and their views on leadership; •
Educate students on the mechanics of leadership and influence by providing ‘light bulb moments’ for those students who are in the process of deciphering their concept of self. The Halogen Foundation promotes a model of leadership that emphasises achieving goals on behalf of others as well as those of the individual;
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Connect students from different schools across their State and provide an interactive environment that encourages the development of supportive relationships and networks;
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It also aims to start making a positive difference in their own school community and beyond and instill in them, the feeling that they have the power to positively influence people and circumstances around them.
Giving young people a voice is something Halogen is focused on trying to develop going forward, which is the driving force behind the development of the ‘10,000 Ideas initiative’.
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NEXT EVENT DATES The next events to be held for WA Schools are: • The National Young Leaders’ Day for Primary Schools – 21st March 2014. • The National Young Leaders’ Day for Secondary Schools – 24th March 2014. Go to www.halogenfoundation.org for more information.
THE ATMOSPHERE CREATED BY THE PROGRAM PROVIDES AN OPEN ENVIRONMENT FOR STUDENTS TO FREELY ASK QUESTIONS DIRECTLY OF THE PRESENTING SPEAKERS; LEARNING FROM THEIR REAL LIFE EXPERIENCES.
10,000 IDEAS INITIATIVE The 10,000 Ideas initiative is the brainchild of the Halogen Foundation, active since 2010. It takes the form of a film project, which aims to capture the combined thoughts of students and how they would make the world different. The attending students are generally filmed during the breaks in the program and are given this opportunity to voice their thoughts. The results of these short films are a powerful picture of this generation’s concerns for the future, as well as an encouraging vision of their desire to change it for the better. “Motivating students to take up leadership responsibility in their schools and community is only half the task. Supporting student leaders to enable their success back at school is vital, something that many of our attending teachers do exceptionally well. If more students knew what was possible when they apply positive influence among their peers, then I believe many more of them would seek out the opportunity and also the required help to make their ideas happen,” says Halogen Foundation Director Mike Martin.
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On seeing so many inspiring concepts brought to the screen, the Halogen Foundation decided to raise the stakes of this initiative in 2012, offering support to students who wish to further develop their leadership potential by turning their ideas for positive change into action. At the beginning of 2014, Halogen will give 10 young people the opportunity to attend a week-long Leadership Program, gaining access to mentorship with the hope that they will be able to come back to share their journey on the Halogen platform at future National Young Leaders’ Days. “We are really looking forward to incorporating more stories from successful student leaders into the event program this year,” says Martin. Participation in 10,000 Ideas is limited to those students who attend The National Young Leaders’ Day for Secondary Schools. You can view some of the 10,000 Ideas short films here: www.halogen.org.au/ page/10000-ideas
THE PREMIER OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, COLIN BARNETT My warmest congratulations to you, our young leaders, who have been selected to participate in The National Young Leaders’ Day. Your selection to attend this important event shows that others see in you the potential to serve your school and your community, both now and into the future. I hope this conference will provide you with a unique opportunity to explore your potential, alongside other exceptional young people from Western Australia. It is most important that we nurture and support our young people so that you can lead the State into the future. This conference will develop some of the skills that will help you to assist others, including your capacity to set goals, work in teams, speak in public, and solve problems. Please, seize the opportunity that this conference presents and learn from it as much as you possibly can! I am sure that The National Young Leaders’ Day will be an enjoyable experience that you will never forget.
THE HALOGEN FOUNDATION Photo’s by Ilkka K (http://ilkkakadala. com/) and Solace Design (http://www. solacedesign.com)
(BELOW) Australian Hockeyroos Olympic goalkeeper, Toni Cronk shared her story of determination and success as a top level sportswoman.
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