1 minute read
Building resilience and strengthening the Mid North Coast
Director of External Engagement, Kate Wood-Foye (second from left), with representatives from the Mid North Coast Joint Organisation
By establishing 39 new scholarships in partnership with local council, donors to Charles Sturt University are playing a vital role in rebuilding communities on the Mid North Coast of NSW hit by the devastating effects of drought, bushfire, floods and COVID-19.
Together, Charles Sturt and the Mid North Coast Joint Organisation have created 39 MidCoast Council Community Leadership and Resilience Scholarships, worth $1200 each, for current and aspiring community members to build leadership capacity and develop collaborative strategies for the region’s recovery.
Scholarship recipients do not need to be current students at Charles Sturt but must complete two micro-subjects from Charles Sturt’s Graduate Certificate in Community Leadership and Resilience – Building Community Resilience and Leading Change – which were developed in consultation with the local community. By supporting residents to pursue higher education, the program aims to inspire people in the workplace, community and voluntary organisations, and help recipients to lead positive change – fostering resilience and stronger community connections to build a brighter future.
General Manager of Bellingen Shire Council Ms Liz Jeremy said, “The Mid North Coast Joint Organisation of Councils has committed to understanding each of our communities’ priorities and concerns.
“Our region has weathered a range of challenges across recent times around years of drought, fires, floods and now COVID-19, which highlights an understanding of the need to work in a much more focused way around the environmental social and economic impacts Bellingen faces now and into the future.
“The Community Leadership and Resilience Network project is a key enabler to responding to what our communities have told us about what is important, enhancing council and community capacity, and creating a cohort with expertise in what continues to be imperatives for the ongoing wellbeing of our communities.”
Director of External Engagement, Kate Wood-Foye (second from left), with recipients from the first cohort of the Community Leadership and Resilience support scholarships
