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Stronger Smarter Institute reaches important milestone by Toby Adams 16 August 2015
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n a week where the Stronger Smarter Institute is running programs throughout Australia (in Warburton (remote WA), Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane), we will celebrate engaging the 2000th participant in our flagship Stronger Smarter Leadership Program at the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence in Redfern, Sydney. For 10 years the Stronger Smarter Institute has collaborated with educators, school leaders and Indigenous community leaders to create better educational outcomes for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander students across our country. Chief Executive Officer, Mr Darren Godwell stated “this milestone is important for many reasons: it’s a measure of our commitment and our serious efforts. “We believe every Indigenous student is deserving of a great education, no matter where they attend school. And to get to that goal requires work, hard work. “The 2,000 people that have attended the Stronger Smarter Leadership Program include Indigenous community leaders, school support staff, educators and principals. They have come from 530 schools from across the nation. “Its our estimation that on a school day those 2,000 Stronger Smarter participants are shaping the classrooms of over 38,000
Stronger Smarter Institute CEO Darren Godwell said he “believes every Indigenous student is deserving of a great education, no matter where they attend school”. Image: Stronger Smarter Institute
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students across Australia. “On these numbers alone the Institute is Australia’s largest Indigenous initiative in education -then there’s the positive impacts and changed lives.” said Mr Godwell. The Institute’s founder Dr Chris Sarra flagged the hard work ahead “when we partner with schools and teachers we think about the positive changes to be made for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in schools across Australia. “With Australia in the midst of a ‘black baby boom’ the Institute is focused on getting as many schools ‘Stronger and Smarter’ in anticipation of the day when those children arrive at school in January
2018.” The Institute’s success in shaping the national education agenda has been significant. Changing the tide of low expectations surrounding Indigenous educational outcomes was a radical idea at the turn of the century. Today the Institute is working with more educators and education partners than ever before. “There is opportunity for departments of education and key leaders in the independent education sector to do more with the Stronger Smarter Institute as we continue our efforts to support indigenous community leaders and school leaders to improve indigenous education outcomes,” urged Godwell.
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