www.firstnationstelegraph.com
Amelia named NRL’s 2013 Learn Earn Legend!
by NRL 2 October 2013
L
ocal Australian Youth Climate Engagement Coordinator, Amelia Telford (born in Lismore, now living in Melbourne) was crowned the NRL’s 2013 Learn Earn Legend! last night at the NRL One Community Awards at Sydney’s Town Hall for her commitment to advancing Indigenous youth education. Amelia was part of
Amelia Telford is pictured with Sea Eagles star George Rose who presented her award. All images supplied by NRL
the Gold Coast Titans Beyond Tomorrow program. Amelia, cousin of Storm star Will Chambers and a Melbourne fan, has recently returned from climbing the Himalayas in support of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition. “The fact that the NRL supports young Indigenous students from primary school and high school into different careers, whatever they want to be, is incredible.
“The opportunities that have opened up for me have been amazing. Being in the Antarctic earlier this year was a life-changing experience. It felt like humans didn’t belong there and reinforced my commitment to the Climate Coalition. “Trekking to Everest base camp last month was very different too. It was my first time in a third world country and I had no idea of the Page 1
www.firstnationstelegraph.com
impact of climate change on the environment there.� Amelia, now based in Melbourne, was nominated by the Gold Coast Titans for her involvement in their Titans Beyond Tomorrow program. She deferred her acceptance into medicine and surgery at university to spend the past year as the Indigenous Engagement Coordinator for the Australian Youth Climate Coalition. She has also led sustainability activities
Page 2
Former Australian Rugby League player, Ron Gibbs from Brewarrina (NSW) was awarded the NRL’s 2013 AAMI Service to the Community Award
at Trinity College, where she developed a program with an aim for the college to use 100 per cent renewable energy across the campus by 2023. Amelia was accepted into the Antarctic Youth Ambassador Program, travelling to Antarctica in February this year with young people from all across the world who are advocating for action on
climate change and sustainability in their home communities. A Minjungbal woman from the Bundjalung nation in Northern NSW, Amelia has also been involved in the organisation of Power Shift, a youth climate summit held in Melbourne involving 2000 young people working together to change the game in climate control.