ALL IN

ALL IN is a space for inspired young people in Perth to learn new skills and mindsets, and to be a part of an ongoing community that fosters personal growth. High schools place so much importance on their students’ academic pursuits and it often feels hard to make time for growth outside of the classroom.

ALL IN aims to support students in becoming well-rounded young adults by developing life skills such as self-awareness, goal setting, leadership and driving change so they feel confident and capable to dream big and achieve their goals.

Along with my co-founders, we have put together a 3-day conference program for young leaders to come together and engage in stimulating conversations they wouldn’t normally have. Throughout the conference, there will be hands-on activities and reflective discussions as students learn not only from us as facilitators and from guest speakers, but also from each other.

Bringing students together from a diverse range of schools across Perth will enrich the experience with different perspectives allowing participants to create a network of driven and passionate young people for life after school.

The component that we are really excited about, is what comes after the conference. We are taking action to avoid the ‘post-event slump’ that often occurs after these kinds of experiences, where participants slot back into their normal lives forgetting everything they’ve learned. Rather, we have a follow-up program in place for them to apply their learnings and set goals moving forward. We are aiming to create a culture that fosters lifelong learning that is relevant and applicable to young people in the 21st century. This way, the learning will be authentic, relevant and ongoing, allowing the students to benefit from our program and stay connected for years to come.

Throughout my time at high school and university, I attended and mentored at many different leadership and self-development programs in Perth, interstate and internationally. There is something really special about bringing likeminded and passionate people together for a transformative experience, where they leave feeling empowered to make a difference. This was the same for my two co-founders, Paris and Eddie. After working as a content developer and workshop facilitator for Curtin University’s student leadership program, Paris and I decided that we wanted to create a space where high school students could feel empowered. We thought, what’s the point waiting for university to learn all the transformative habits and skills?

After completing a course at the Centre of Entrepreneurial Research and Innovation to develop our startup, we brought Eddie on board with our vision.

We have dedicated many hours ideating and planning how we will make our vision a reality. Despite having extremely different experiences as high school students, the three of us believe strongly that students don’t have access to transformative personal development experiences and lack the support they need to achieve their goals. We want to change that.

Between the three of us, it has been so exciting to share our visions for ALL IN and we feel proud to be dreaming big because of how much we believe in our ‘why’. We see a real opportunity for young people in Perth to take a step forward and commit to a better future for themselves and their communities, so we’re making it happen.

In the future, we see ALL IN being a space that is well known to young people in Perth and around Australia. One day we would love to host a national conference where students come from far and wide to experience the spark that our community brings. By the end of our program, we want participants to confidently say, ‘ALL IN was the best thing I ever did.’

We’re going all in with this vision because we believe wholeheartedly in the power of youth empowerment and a strong, ongoing community.

The process of developing our startup has been a whole new experience that I have learnt a lot from already. Working with two people who are both very different to me has highlighted the value of diversity when it comes to teamwork. Each of us contributes new ideas that we wouldn’t have thought of otherwise and having the three of us allows for deeper discussions and richer outcomes. We have really learnt to appreciate that ‘more minds are better than one’, and that is something I will always carry forward in my professional life.

We have also run a prototype program with groups of student leaders from university and reflecting on these sessions has reminded me of how I reflect on and refine my teaching practice. Planning and facilitating a learning experience for other people, whether they are adults or children, requires a whole lot of empathy for your audience. It is also a constant process that will never end. My practice, although ever improving, will always be under construction. That’s something that is reflected in both my school teaching and with ALL IN.

Finally, my favourite part of empowering young people is all the a-ha! moments I get to witness. Whether they are Year 12s or Year 6s, learning maths or leadership, these revelations are so special and always remind me of my personal ‘why’. Teaching and being a part of ALL IN on the side is the perfect parallel as I get to see students’ grow from small people with big dreams to empowered changemakers who are ready to make an impact.

Stay tuned for upcoming updates as we are currently working on a potential collaboration between ALL IN and Penrhos College!

Alisha McMullen
Penrhos College Junior School teacher and ALL IN Co-Founder